On the late afternoon of 31/7, Cao Thanh Dat, a warehouse employee for Viettel Post, and his friend Tran Thi Bich Tuyen, 28, were at a villa in Vung Tau to film a promotional video for a real estate side hustle.

While filming in the front yard, Dat noticed two girls, approximately 8 and 4 years old, playing in a pool divided into adult and children's sections. Both girls wore life jackets and were accompanied by their mother, the housekeeper of the rented villa. The mother worked in the front yard while her daughters played in the pool.

Around 5 PM, the mother called her daughters to come out of the pool to rinse off with fresh water. The older girl came out, but the younger one didn't. Sensing something was wrong, the mother panicked and jumped into the pool to search for her daughter.

Cao Thanh Dat. Photo: Truong Ha

Cao Thanh Dat. Photo: Truong Ha

At this time, Dat and Tuyen were filming inside the house with their backs to the pool, about 10 meters away. Tuyen was startled by the older girl's cries for help. Turning around, she saw the mother struggling in the pool, clearly panicked.

"At first, I thought the mother had slipped," Dat recounted. But seeing her begin to sink, he immediately dropped his camera and jumped into the pool. Dat pulled the mother out first, trying to calm her as she thrashed and screamed. Once on the pool deck, he realized she was holding her younger daughter, who showed no signs of life.

"The girl looked very bad. She wasn't breathing, her skin was blue, her stomach distended, and her eyes were rolled back," Dat recalled. He immediately performed CPR, a skill he learned in school. Meanwhile, Tuyen called for an ambulance and tried to comfort the mother, who was alternately kneeling and standing, calling her daughter's name.

"I just acted, pushing all fear aside," Dat said. After 30 to 40 intensely stressful seconds, the girl began to vomit water and breathe again, her eyes showing a response. "The moment she breathed again was indescribable," he said.

Over the phone, medical personnel instructed them to prop the girl’s head up with a pillow, tilting her to the left to allow the water to drain. The ambulance arrived shortly after, and the girl was conscious and able to call for her mother.

Dat performing CPR on the young girl. Image from video

Dat performing CPR on the young girl. Image from video

Dat couldn't sleep that night. The image of the motionless girl kept replaying in his mind. He only felt relieved when the family called to say the girl was okay and to thank him.

"Anyone would have done the same," Dat said, refusing to call himself a hero. However, he believes that preparedness, from first-aid knowledge to attentiveness, can change a person's fate.

After the experience, he shared his story on social media, urging parents to supervise children near water, equip them with life jackets, and learn basic CPR. "Just a few seconds of hesitation or incorrect first aid can lead to lifelong regret," he said.

According to Vung Tau Hospital, the girl received prompt first aid and was conscious upon arrival, able to walk and talk. She was discharged after a day of observation.

Doctors advise that when someone is found drowning, they should be brought to shore immediately, placed on their side, and assessed for breathing and heartbeat. Clear the airway, then proceed with rescue breathing and chest compressions. Never hold the victim upside down or run with them, as this can cause water to enter the airways and worsen respiratory distress.

According to the Department of Children (Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs), 2,000 children die from drowning in Vietnam every year. Vietnam currently has a high rate of child drowning deaths.

The drowning mortality rate for children aged 0-14 in Vietnam is higher than in the Asia-Pacific region and globally. Children in rural areas are twice as likely to drown as those in urban areas; 55% of children who die from drowning are from poor rural households.

Truong Ha