Residents have hailed the young men as heroes because together they saved more than 300 people from drowning. It was 5pm on October 18 and Thanh was fishing near his house when he noticed the water was rising rapidly, he recalled.

Le Van Thanh recalls the rescue operation that saved hundreds of local residents.

He rushed home to move his family to higher ground as water rushed through the commune submerging all 12 villages. The voices of people calling for each other and screaming caused unprecedented chaos, he said.

After making sure his wife and children were safe, Thanh decided to phone his younger brother Le Van Cong and his friends Dau Van Hoang and Pham Van Dong to ask them to help rescue other villagers.

Within minutes Cong, Hoang and Dong were at his house and they jumped in a boat to set out for some of the houses where the water had reached up to the windows. Thanh rowed the boat towards houses that had water up to the windows using a lamp to search in the darkness.

“When they got in the boat, they were shivering with cold,” Thanh said.

Seeing two elderly in the house next door, Thanh’s group also managed to help them.

The group went back and forth for four hours, paddling in the surging floodwaters. By 11pm they had rescued 60 people.

The rescue operation had to be stopped at midnight because they were too tired, cold and hungry. Thanh returned home to see his wife and children who were still clinging to a small boat.

“When I saw my husband I felt angry because he left us at home fighting the floods. I couldn’t contact him. I was afraid something bad had happened to him,” Nguyen Thi Tinh, Thanh’s wife told.

Eating a pack of dried instant noodles in his wet clothes, Thanh told his wife about what he had been doing.

“My phone is out of battery. People are calling for help, so we must help them. We have two boats. I think you'll be fine here, ” he said.

Tinh said she was no longer angry after hearing her husband's story, and he set off again to help other people.

On the way, he also carried three neighbours to safety. Over the following days they continued their mission.

With the help of rescue forces from other localities, Thanh’s small group eventually saved more than 300 people in three days.

When we were about 1km from the village, the boat flipped and we were lucky to survive, but Thành lost all of his fishing equipment, he said.

“If we were afraid of death, we would not have done it, but we were worried that the boat could flip again,” Dong recalled. Now they are relieved that no one in their area died in the floods.

“It wasn't a big deal. We work as fishermen on the river so are familiar with the local conditions,” Thanh said humbly about his experience.

Vo Ta Ky, chairman of Cam Due Commune’s People’s Committee, said during the floods, many outstanding individuals had been recognised by local authorities and residents.

“Thanh saved the lives of hundreds of people with his courage,” he said, adding that the local government planned to reward Thanh and his colleagues.

Permanent NA Vice Chairwoman visits and presents gifts to people in flood-hit areas

During her working trip in the central province of Thua Thien Hue, Politburo member and Permanent National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong visited and presented gifts to local people who have been affected by the historical floods in the two districts of Phong Dien and Quang Dien.

Vietnam grants $21 mln disaster aid to support five flood-hit provinces

The government decided to grant VND500 billion ($21.52 million) to five central provinces worst hit by historic flooding for rescue and social welfare support.

Organizations and agencies in Bac Giang province donate to Fund for the poor and flood victims in Central region

(BGO) – On October 20, the Office of the provincial Party Committee (PPC) in Bac Giang province and the departments of Party Building held a ceremony to call for donation for the flood victims in the Central region. The event was attended by the Member of the Central Party Committee, former PPC Secretary, Chairman of the provincial People’s Council Bui Van Hai. 

International organizations pledge aid for central Vietnam flood victims

Several international organizations have pledged donations of cash and disaster relief goods to help central Vietnam’s disaster victims.

Floods, landslides take 102 lives in central Vietnam

The number of deaths caused by flooding and landslides in central Vietnam rose to 102 Monday night, with 26 still missing.

Source: VNS