Fisherman tells miraculous survival story after 4 days falling into the sea

Journey from death back

In a thatched house in Hamlet 1, Hon Tre, Kien Hai, Kien Giang Province, Mr. Tran Van Viet (45 years old) with his skin burning and his eyes red still could not believe what had just happened to him. To him, it was like a nightmare.

The story of a man who spent 4 days and nights drifting at sea, drinking rainwater and seawater to survive is hard for many people to believe.

This thatched house is where Mr. Viet and his wife and two children live (Photo: Ngoc Ngan)

Remembering those terrifying days, Mr. Viet tearfully recounted that in mid-May, he went to sea on a fishing boat from Binh Dai district ( Ben Tre ). There were 17 people on board, fishing in the waters of Ben Tre - Kien Giang. On June 1, after two weeks at sea, a crew member was injured, and the boat stopped fishing to bring the victim ashore.

At around 7pm that same day, he walked to the back of the ship to take a bath, unfortunately his foot tripped over the crossbar and he fell into the sea. He shouted for help but the engine was loud and the crew members were busy with their own business so no one noticed. At this time, the ship was about 200 nautical miles (more than 370 km) from the mainland.

Mr. Viet recounts unforgettable moments during 4 days and nights drifting at sea (Photo: Ngoc Ngan)

As soon as he fell into the sea, Mr. Viet tried to swim to the distant lights near the fishing boats, looking for a chance to survive. But he swam and swam and swam but could not reach them.

“ The first night I fell into the sea, I kept swimming with the waves. The image of my wife and two children appeared in my mind, so I kept swimming. I kept swimming until morning… ” Mr. Viet said.

After a night of soaking in the cold sea, the man with 27 years of experience thought he would not survive because he was too exhausted. However, when the sun shone, his body gradually warmed up, and the desire to live flared up again.

A long day passed, his body was pushed by the ocean current because he did not have enough strength to swim. There was nothing to eat, he was hungry and cold, he was being nibbled by fish, every now and then it rained but only a few drops, he tried to open his mouth hoping for a few drops of fresh water but in vain.

At his most desperate moment, he thought of his wife waiting at home and his young children who had not yet finished their education, then life arose. “ With no food, no water, no life jacket, even my pants were floating in the water, I thought I could not return alive, but thinking of my wife and children, I forced myself to try, not to give up .”

After 2 nights of drifting, tormented by hunger, looking at the vast ocean, unable to see the shore, the poor fisherman wanted to leave everything to fate. “ This is the first time in my life that I have fallen into this situation. I looked at my hand, the lines were still very long. I thought to myself that my life would end at the age of 45, then I gradually faded away ” - Mr. Viet said.

His mouth and tongue were severely ulcerated due to drinking seawater for many days, making it difficult for him to eat and drink (Photo: Ngoc Ngan)

During his awakenings, the poor fisherman saw the shadows of fishing boats many times. He tried to swim closer to call for help, but he could not reach them. “ In the middle of the vast ocean, when you see a boat, there is hope for survival. But you cannot get close because it is too far away .”

Time gradually eroded Mr. Viet's will, he let everything go. Unconsciously, when he was too hungry, he opened his eyes, drank a few sips of sea water and realized he was still alive.

Fortunately, after 4 days and 3 nights, when he was completely unconscious, he was discovered and picked up by a Phan Rang ship.

"I am so grateful to everyone"

The person who saved Mr. Viet was Captain Le Van Thuan (My Dong Ward, Phan Rang – Thap Cham City, Ninh Thuan Province). Mr. Thuan said that on the afternoon of June 4, when he was about 35 nautical miles (nearly 70 km) southwest of Phu Quy Island, a person on the boat saw Mr. Viet floating in a face-down position, his head slightly tilted, drifting freely.

Everyone pulled Mr. Viet onto the boat. When checked, he was barely breathing. He was in very poor health. His back, arms, and legs had many wounds from fish bites. His mouth and tongue were severely ulcerated. His eyes were red and he could not open them. He was moaning.

The crew members on the ship washed his face, dried and warmed his body, put eye drops in, and cooked porridge to feed Mr. Viet.

About an hour later, Mr. Viet regained consciousness. He was then taken by ship to Phu Quy Island, handed over to the Border Guard Station and transferred to a medical center for treatment.

On the afternoon of June 6, Mr. Viet was discharged from the hospital after his health had recovered and was taken to the mainland of Phan Thiet to return to his hometown. People on the island donated money to help him buy supplies and cover the cost of returning home. Ms. Chau Thi Ngoc Ngan - a resident of the island, called on social media to help him with hundreds of millions of dong.

Mr. Viet (middle) returned to the arms of friends and relatives.

Returning to the arms of his loved ones, Mr. Viet was overjoyed: "What just happened was like a nightmare. Now, everything is fine. Really, I am extremely grateful to everyone."

When asked if he would continue to make a living at sea, Mr. Viet looked into the distance and pondered for a long time before answering: “ I will probably quit going to sea and find a job on shore. But after 27 years at sea, I don’t know if I can do something else…”

MINH MINH

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Source: https://vtc.vn/ngu-dan-ke-chuyen-song-sot-than-ky-sau-4-ngay-roi-xuong-bien-ar798460.html