The chivalrous spirit of the two restaurant owners.

(Baonghean)At 4 PM on March 29th, while tidying up their restaurants, Mr. Bui Ngoc Trinh (50 years old - owner of Tu Trinh restaurant) and Mr. Nguyen Canh Tan (51 years old - owner of Tan Thanh restaurant) in Block 1, Thu Thuy Ward, Cua Lo Town, heard cries for help. Immediately, undeterred by the strong waves and swift currents, the two men quickly paddled their small boat 150 meters from the shore to rescue five tourists drifting near Lan Chau Island.

Upon arriving, they found all five people panicking, stamping, struggling, and screaming for help. The two men quickly threw ropes and rescued all five into the boat one by one. Then, they tried to keep the boat balanced while rowing with all their might to avoid the large waves and ensure safety, navigating the rocky outcrops one by one to bring the boat to shore. The five tourists who narrowly escaped death were Le Thi Loan (46 years old), Nguyen Thi Dinh (43 years old), Nguyen Thi Phien (40 years old), Nong Van Binh (37 years old), and Luong Van Tuan (27 years old), all residents of Dai Tu district, Thai Nguyen province.

The incident happened nearly ten days ago, but thinking back today, Mr. Trinh and Mr. Tan feel like they've been given a second chance at life. "When I heard a man running up and shouting for help, I didn't have time to think; I just wanted to run out and save him, so I didn't bring a life vest. When we got to the sea, the two of us struggled for a long time to row the boat out because of the big waves. The small boat had limited capacity, and it had never carried seven people before. If we hadn't stayed calm and maintained our balance, perhaps all seven of us would be dead now," Mr. Trinh recounted.

Luong Van Tuan gratefully said: “There were six of us swimming, but only two lifebuoys, and all six were swept away by the waves from the area near Hotel 382 to Lan Chau Island. The more we struggled, the further we were pushed. At that point, everyone was exhausted and suffering from cramps. Panicked, I told Nguyen Van Hao, who knew how to swim, to grab onto a rock and jump in to swim to shore and call for help. When we reached the shore, Hao met Mr. Trinh and Mr. Tan.”

I saw the two elderly people rowing out only to be repeatedly swept back by the waves, but in the end, they made it to us to rescue us. After we got ashore, they helped us rest and recover, then hired an electric buggy to take us back to the hotel. That afternoon, we went to thank them, but they said, "Everyone here does the same thing; if they see someone drowning, they save them, not for money. We're so lucky we saved you, otherwise we would have regretted it terribly."

These days, Cua Lo town is bustling with preparations for the opening of the 2013 tourist season. To ensure tourists can relax and enjoy the beach during the summer, in addition to strengthening rescue and emergency response efforts by relevant authorities, the town is also focusing on building a movement of "Every Cua Lo resident is an enthusiastic, friendly, and hospitable lifeguard," aiming to produce many more role models like Mr. Trinh and Mr. Tan.

Hoang Hai (Cua Lo Town Party Committee)