On the afternoon of 15/6, Nguyen Van Loi's family was preparing for the funeral of his younger sister, Nguyen Thi Nam, a resident of Hung Yen, who died in a tourist boat capsizing in Lan Ha Bay the day before. Loi's 8-year-old daughter is currently receiving intensive treatment at Bac Ninh General Hospital for pneumonia after inhaling seawater and engine oil.
Previously, two families, totaling 11 people, chartered a half-day wooden boat trip through a broker to visit Lan Ha Bay. On the morning of 14/6, upon arrival at the pier, the family was assigned to the Bay Hoa boat, captained by Nguyen Van Bay. Initially, they hesitated to board due to concerns about the boat's small size. However, having already paid the full fee of 1,7 trieu dong, the group decided to depart.
Approximately 15 minutes after leaving the pier, the accident occurred. The iron-hulled Minh Anh boat, carrying 31 people, was traveling in the same direction from behind when it collided with the Bay Hoa boat in the Van Boi area.
"I only heard two horn blasts for about hai seconds; the larger boat had already crashed straight into us," Loi recalled.
He stated that the time from when the warning horn sounded to the moment of impact was too quick for the boat's captain to react. He remembered only having time to shout to his wife, "Oh, the boat is crashing!", before the wooden boat was hit and capsized. According to him, if the warning horn had sounded earlier, everyone would have had time to jump off the boat to escape before the collision.
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Nguyen Van Loi at his sister's funeral on the morning of 15/6. *Photo: Hoang Giang*
Falling into the water, Loi removed his life jacket, swam out, and discovered his sister, Nam, trapped in a gap between the hai vessels. He threw a lifebuoy, but his sister was severely injured and lacked the strength to hold on. He held her hand, helping her stay afloat until a group on jetskis approached and rescued them.
At the same time, other members of Loi's family also struggled to escape. His wife, who knows how to swim, managed to pull their 8-year-old child to the surface. Thanks to the timely intervention of the rescue team, all family members were pulled from the water within a few minutes.
"If the rescue team hadn't arrived so quickly, my wife and child might not have survived," he said.
When she was pulled onto the rescue dinghy, Nam was unconscious. Medical personnel performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but she continuously vomited blood. The forensic examination revealed that Nam suffered severe multiple injuries, leading to her death, Loi stated. He added that Nam was sitting in the exact position of the impact, suggesting she might have been severely injured before being rescued.
According to authorities, both boats had valid inspection certificates. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation by the police.
Dang Ho Nam, Nguyen Thi Nam's husband, recounts the moment the accident occurred in Lan Ha Bay. *Video: Anh Phu*
Lan Ha Bay is located east of Cat Ba Island and south of Ha Long Bay (Quang Ninh), featuring nearly 400 large and small islands. The area boasts many long sandy beaches nestled among rocky mountains, offering tranquility and calm waters, making them ideal swimming spots for tourists.
In 5/2020, the World's Most Beautiful Bays Club Association awarded Lan Ha Bay a certificate recognizing it among the top bays in the world.
Tu Nguyen - Hoang Giang
