“I only had time to throw my child onto the shore, helplessly watching my wife drown in the flood.”
(Baonghean.vn) - A group of people were swept away by the flood, including his wife and child. The man could only hold his child tightly in his arms, use all his strength to throw the child out of the water, then helplessly watch his wife drown.
“My wife is dead,” Moong Van Loi stood at the bottom of the rushing stream, searching with all his might, screaming in tears. No one could contain his grief as his wife, Moong Thi Tuyet, was still lying in the flood, her body still undiscovered. On the bank, his children were still sitting on the grass by the roadside, occasionally exclaiming, “Where is Mom?”
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| Mr. Moong Van Loi was stunned when recounting the story of his wife being swept away by floodwaters. Photo: Tho Tuan |
At noon on August 18, the sun began to shine after a day of pouring rain. The heat still could not dispel the feeling of shivering when looking down at the roaring Thu stream. A group of people were still gathered at Xieng Thu village (Chieu Luu commune - Ky Son) to search for the body of Moong Thi Tuyet (also known as Moong Me Tan, 37 years old) who was swept away by the flood since noon on August 17. Everyone felt tired after more than a day of searching, but seeing the scene of the victim's husband crying miserably, they went down to the stream to continue their work.
It was very difficult for us to contact Moong Van Loi and it took him a long time to be able to talk because the pain of losing his wife was choked up in his throat. The horrifying image of yesterday was something he would never forget for the rest of his life.
He said: He and his wife live happily and have 3 children together. The youngest child, Moong Van Cuong, is in 7th grade at Chieu Luu Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities. At noon on August 17, because of something busy, Cut Van Thon's parents asked him and his wife to pick up their child from school.
At around 12 noon, when crossing the spillway bridge between Xieng Thu and La Ngan villages, seeing the raging floodwaters, everyone began to feel scared. However, the water was rising higher and higher, and if they did not cross quickly, they might have to stay. Leaving their daughter on this side of the river, the couple held their daughter's hand, along with Chich Thi Quang and Cut Van Thon, and walked across the bridge.
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| Moong Van Cuong, Loi's son, is still in shock when he remembers the scene of his mother being swept away by the flood. Photo: Tho Tuan |
“When we reached the middle of the stream, everyone screamed in panic because the water was so strong that we could not stand firm. We could not go on, and it was too late to retreat. In just a split second, the five of us were swept away,” Moong Van Loi recalled in shock.
“As soon as I fell, I quickly grabbed my child and floated away with the others. At that moment, my wife struggled in the rushing water, shouting: "Help, help!". But if I had let go of my child, he would have died and I might not have been able to save my wife,” Loi choked up as he quickly wiped away the tears rolling down his cheeks.
After drifting about 500 meters, his foot stepped on a rock at the bottom of the stream. Moong Van Loi used all his strength to throw his son onto the grass about 2 meters away. He sadly said: “My son stood on the bank crying miserably, calling out: "Dad, save mom!" At that time, my wife was drowned. I helplessly watched the fierce water carry my wife away, my heart aching.”
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| Neighbors came to wait for news of Ms. Moong Thi Tuyet. Photo: Tho Tuan |
After that moment, Moong Van Loi was like a lost soul. The pain of losing his wife froze into a choking sob. He tried to run everywhere to search for her. He groped at the bottom of Thu stream, his eyes red, his mouth constantly calling his wife's name miserably.
At 5:15 p.m. on August 18, Moong Thi Tuyet’s body was found more than 5 kilometers away. The pain had somewhat subsided, but the haunting and tears still streamed down Moong Van Loi’s dark face.