Nghe An Police Sergeant bravely rescues 4 people trapped in flood at night

That day, August 30, 2019, a small stream downstream of Ban Coc Hydropower Plant on the Nam Giai River, Chau Kim Commune, suddenly became unusually "ferocious". Due to the impact of storm No. 4, the flood water rose rapidly, causing the downstream area to be heavily flooded, trapping four people living in Huu Van Village who were fishing: Lu Van Phuong (24 years old), Kim Son Ngoc (17 years old), Lo Van Hai (16 years old) and Lo Trung Hieu (16 years old).

Mr. Kim Son Dao, residing in Nam Giai commune (Que Phong), father of Kim Son Ngoc, recalled: "The children went fishing together on the afternoon of August 29, 2019. The next morning, they did not see their children return, so the family was very worried and organized a search. In the evening, it rained heavily. When they arrived at the downstream area of ​​Ban Coc Hydropower Dam, they saw smoke rising and thought the children were there, but due to high water levels, the family could not reach the place where the children were trapped."

A working group of Que Phong District Police participated in rescuing four people trapped in floodwaters on the night of August 30. Photo: Duc Vu

After receiving the information, on the evening of August 30, 2019, Que Phong District Police established a working group of 15 officers and soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel Cao Thanh Hai - Head of District Police as the team leader to go directly to the scene to search and rescue the trapped victims.

The area where the four people were trapped was 25 km from Kim Son town, Que Phong district, deep in the forest, and it took 2 hours of walking up a steep forest road to get there. At 7 pm that evening, the working group discovered the four teenagers trapped on a small rock in the middle of the floodwaters, and a plan to approach and rescue the victims was quickly outlined.

Sergeant Luong Van Thang and Mr. Lu Van Phuong, 1 of 4 rescued people. Photo: Duc Vu

In that urgent situation, Sergeant Luong Van Thang, an officer of Que Phong District Police, volunteered to rush into the floodwaters to rescue the victims. In the dark of night, the rescue work of the four teenagers was carried out very urgently.

The task force used tree trunks to form a bridge to create a path between the rocks. Sergeant Thang used ropes to tie himself to, then quickly moved across each rock. The locations of the rocks were quite far apart, so it took Sergeant Thang nearly an hour to reach the place where the four teenagers were trapped.

The stream was narrow, the flood water rose high and flowed very strongly, the trapped people were worried and did not dare to hold on to the rope to get to the other side. Sergeant Thang had to encourage and calm them down many times, by 10pm, the four trapped teenagers were brought safely to the other side. On the riverbank, the families of the trapped people could not hide their joy and emotion when their children and grandchildren safely returned home.

Location of the children trapped downstream of Ban Coc Hydropower Dam. Photo: Xuan Bac

Returning to Que Phong district on a day in early October 2019, we had the opportunity to talk with Sergeant Luong Van Thang - an officer of the Security Team (Que Phong District Police). When asked about his brave actions, Sergeant Luong Van Thang shared:"When lookingSeeing 4 teenagers trapped, thinking that they had gone 2 days without food or water, and it was raining heavily, even though the chance of rescuing them was 50/50, but when I saw there was still a chance, I volunteered for the mission..

During the rescue process, there were times when the flood water was half-way up his body, and he slipped and fell. However, as a native son, familiar with the river and his experience in high school of rescuing several drowning cases, combined with the courage and spirit of a police officer, Thang was able to overcome the floodwaters and successfully rescue 4 trapped victims.

Mr. Luong Van Son - Chairman of Chau Kim Commune People's Committee (Que Phong) - who participated in the search and rescue of the 4 trapped victims said: "The brave action of comrade Luong Van Thang is truly an example that needs to be replicated in rescue work".

Learning more, we learned that Sergeant Luong Van Thang is a young soldier with 2 years of military service, assigned by the unit's leadership to the Security Team (Que Phong District Police), in charge of a large area, mainly ethnic minorities, but he soon stuck with the people, stuck with the area, and firmly grasped the situation related to security and order.

After his brave act of helping his teammates rescue four teenagers trapped in floodwaters, Mr. Thang was even more loved and trusted by the villagers.

Mr. Lu Van Phuong - the oldest of the four trapped victims said:"I am very grateful to Mr. Thang for saving my life and my friends'. Now I see Mr. Thang not only as a benefactor but also as my brother.".

In recognition of the brave actions of the Que Phong District Police working group, the Que Phong District People's Committee awarded a Certificate of Merit to Sergeant Luong Van Thang and a number of related officers. Currently, Nghe An Provincial Police are also proposing to the Prime Minister to award a Certificate of Merit to Sergeant Thang, therebyaffirming the spirit of selflessness for the country and service to the people of the People's Public Security force in general and Nghe An Public Security in particular.