In the early morning of 27/11, after seven days wading through floods in the former Phu Yen region, Trung returned to Da Nang. Exhausted, the 44-year-old man softly called from his doorstep, "Mom, please open the door for me." His mother rushed out, her voice flustered, "Why have you been gone so long, my child?"

For nearly two months, Trung continuously drove his rescue boat from the former Bac Giang, back to Da Nang, and then to the Phu Yen region, now part of Dak Lak, areas severely inundated during the prolonged period of rain and floods. Each rescue mission typically lasted about one week, covering nearly 1,300 km, with only a few days of rest between each receding flood.

"Initially, we planned to go North for a few days of support, but then we just kept going. This year's natural disaster was too severe, exceeding all expectations," shared the leader of the "Joining Hands for the Community" rescue group.

Anh Trung lai xuong cuu ho dua mot gia dinh thoat khoi ngap sau o Nam Phuoc, cach Hoi An khoang 7 km trong dot lut cuoi thang 10 o mien Trung. Anh: Nguyen Dong

Trung and his volunteer group departed from Da Nang for the former Phu Yen on the afternoon of 19/11, after three continuous days of monitoring rainfall information and confirming that floods were rising. They carried 200 life jackets, 500 bottles of water, 150 ready-to-eat meals, and fresh bread – urgent necessities for residents isolated by floodwaters. The departure plan was quickly decided as the entire group had previously worked together during the Hoi An rescue mission, with members experienced in boat driving, bow assistance, truck driving, truck assistance, and one person responsible for coordinating operations.

The group brought two compact yet powerful canoes, suitable for the short, steep terrain of the South Central Coast. One boat had not been stored since the Hoi An flood rescue in late October. The other, named "Than Gio" (Wind God), a canoe capable of 95 km per hour, was donated by a benefactor after the previous flood and was being launched for the first time.

Their initial target areas were Dong Hoa and Tay Hoa in the former Phu Yen, a low-lying downstream region of the Ba River, adjacent to the sea, and highly susceptible to flooding. The journey of over 500 km lasted through the night of 19/11, coinciding with many parts of the former Phu Yen beginning to submerge. Along the way, traffic was jammed for long stretches, and floodwaters cut off routes everywhere. On the afternoon of 20/11, they decided to gather at Tran Hung Dao bridge in Tuy Hoa ward, where deep floodwaters served as a collection point for relief supplies and a launch site for boats to evacuate residents from the inundated areas.

Nhom cuu ho cua anh Trung tham gia ho tro cac vung ngap lut o Phu Yen cu tu ngay 20/11 den 27/11. Video: Trung Dao

The rescue operations spanned from Tuy Hoa to Hoa Thinh and Dong Hoa, Phu Hoa. The most memorable trip occurred on the morning of 21/11 amidst heavy rain and stinging winds. Two men on the "Than Gio" canoe navigated across a field "like traversing a rough sea" to reach Quy Hau hamlet, Phu Hoa commune. A three-month-old baby had a high fever, and an elderly person needed urgent transportation to the hospital after an accident.

Over a 10 km stretch, the canoe traveled through floodwaters deeper than a person's head, weaving through underpasses on the national highway. Two houses, several hundred meters apart, required the canoe to maneuver through narrow alleys to avoid obstacles. The rescue mission lasted over four hours; at one point, a swirling current spun the canoe sideways, leaving the helmsman's hands stiff as he struggled to regain control.

Having responded to emergencies across three regions, Trung had never encountered such "unruly floodwaters" as in Phu Yen. The steep terrain and strong currents posed significant challenges for the rescue boat, even with local guides. Previously, in Tien Luc (former Bac Giang) and Hoi An (Da Nang), floodwaters were deep but the flat terrain allowed rescue boats to navigate narrow alleys. Even with over 20 years of rescue driving experience, there were moments when he "only realized he was still alive upon reaching shore."

Trung did not count how many people he had evacuated from the floods, only knowing that "the more people rescued, the better." However, there were times when the rescue team was powerless due to the sheer volume of water. At one point, they attempted to reach the heart of the Hoa Thinh flood but had to give up because the water was too violent. Even on the first night, while trying to rescue a pregnant woman about to give birth, the boat was just over one hundred meters from her home, but Trung had to turn back because floodwaters converging from all directions created opposing currents that threatened to capsize the boat.

Calls and messages poured in, but at times, the rescue boat was helpless when areas were cut off, making travel on the murky, challenging floodwaters impossible. Communication was almost entirely paralyzed, so even though the group wanted to evacuate all residents from isolated areas, they had to resort to rescuing whoever they encountered.

Tiep te cho nguoi dan vung ngap sau o Phu Yen cu. Anh: NVCC

After three days of rescue, the group transitioned to relief efforts as the water gradually receded and supply trucks rushed to the Central region. On the night of 22/11, the team unloaded 15 tons of goods from a business in TP HCM, which were then transported by 15 pickup trucks the following morning to the most heavily flooded areas.

Throughout his rescue journey, Trung received support from many benefactors, including those who contributed fuel, donated life jackets, rice, noodles, and even diapers for children, along with hygiene products for women such as sanitary pads and feminine wash. In addition to evacuating people, receiving, and distributing relief supplies, the group collaborated with a volunteer team from Hoi An, who cooked nearly one thousand hot meals daily to support residents.

Trung stated that rescue forces are always ready to assist residents, but widespread floods can easily lead to overload. Therefore, families in low-lying areas, depending on their circumstances, should equip themselves with inflatable boats, SUPs, or large styrofoam boxes with ropes to cope with rapidly rising water. Each family member should have a life jacket, and adults should teach children how to put it on quickly within 5 seconds; they should also prepare a survival kit or plastic containers with dry rations and enough drinking water for one to three days, along with a flashlight and flares to call for rescue in emergencies.

"Floods can be unexpected, but if people are well-prepared, risks will be significantly reduced. If each household is ready, the entire neighborhood will be much safer," he shared.

Anh Dao Dang Cong Trung cung nhom cuu ho SOS Da Nang mang luong thuc vao vung lut Tien Luc, Bac Giang cu (nay la Bac Ninh), hoi dau thang 10/2025. Video: Trung Dao

During the frantic days of evacuating people from flood zones and unloading goods until midnight, Trung still managed a few minutes to call his mother in his hometown of Cam Thanh (Hoi An) to reassure her. The rescue trips always caused his mother sleepless nights, even though she knew her son was an excellent swimmer. She had once advised him to stop his volunteer work because of his wife and children, but he could not bring himself to do so.

The urgent rescue days have passed, and residents in the heart of the floods are now transitioning to reconstruction. Dao Dang Cong Trung and his volunteer group returned with feet swollen and red from prolonged immersion in floodwaters, water-damaged skin, and necrotic nails that will take time to heal. The "Than Gio" canoe has been cleaned, and the boat driver spent an entire afternoon sleeping soundly until evening, his first complete rest after a week of rain and floods.

Returning home one day before his 45th birthday, Trung received a gift: an 1,800 cc jet ski – a vehicle capable of mobile rescue in deep, submerged alleys. His friend sent it with a message, "I hope you don't have to use it to rescue people from raging floods." But his conversations with friends at the end of November still revolved around the continuous storms and low-pressure systems offshore. "If the rain continues and the water rises, we will be ready to go," he said.

Hong Chieu