PLA Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese military, reported on 9/7 that the incident occurred during a parachute training exercise for an air force brigade on 28/5. First Lieutenant Vuong Rue, a unit commander within the brigade, was performing his 16th career jump from an altitude of 800 m.

Just before deploying his parachute, Vuong collided with Corporal Tran Tu Kiet, causing Tran to flip upside down. After reorienting himself, Vuong realized their parachutes had become entangled, a perilous emergency in skydiving.

In such a situation, two soldiers typically cooperate to untangle their parachutes. However, Tran appeared unconscious and did not respond despite Vuong's repeated attempts to rouse him.

Vuong Rue (left) and Tran Tu Kiet entangled during a parachute jump on 28/5. *Beijing Daily*

Images released showed Tran's parachute partially deployed and wrapped around Vuong's. First Lieutenant Vuong tried to reach for the reserve parachute deployment handle but was caught in the tangle of lines. Pulling the handle too hard risked damaging it, preventing the reserve from opening.

If they could not separate the parachutes, both would free-fall 800 m to the ground in seconds. In this dangerous predicament, Vuong curled up and attempted to kick his own parachute away with his feet.

After the first kick failed, Vuong adjusted his angle and tried again. On the second attempt, his foot grazed the edge of the parachute. With a final kick, he freed himself from the entangled canopy and lines. Vuong then spotted his reserve parachute and successfully deployed it.

With his view obscured by the canopy, Vuong did not know Tran's exact location. He instinctively grabbed nearby parachute lines, pulling his comrade towards him. Vuong thought, "As long as I don't let go, Tran will land safely."

Vuong understood the immense danger of two people, with a combined weight of nearly 150 kg, landing with a single parachute. However, he also knew Tran had no chance of survival without his hold.

Unbeknownst to Vuong until they landed, his main parachute had fully deployed after the reserve was opened, allowing both to land safely. Vuong landed in a bush and rolled into a nearby ditch, while Tran fell onto the adjacent grass.

When Vuong was found, half his body was submerged in the ditch water, his camouflage uniform torn in many places, and his face and hands covered in blood. Parachute lines still wrapped around his legs.

Doctors determined he had fractured his 5th to 10th ribs and right shoulder, sustaining numerous soft tissue injuries.

Tran regained consciousness en route to the hospital, suffering from a collapsed lumbar vertebra. The brigade has not yet determined the cause of his unconsciousness during the jump.

Chinese special forces conduct parachute training on the Tibetan Plateau in a video posted in 2020. *CCTV*

For his life-saving actions, Vuong received an award in early June. He was discharged from the hospital late that month and has returned to his unit, though he cannot yet resume training.

According to the incident analysis, Vuong recognized the emergency, freed himself from the entangled parachute, deployed his reserve, and held onto his comrade during the landing.

"Honestly, I didn't have time to be scared while handling that emergency," Vuong recounted. "It wasn't until I was in the ambulance and relaxed that I started to feel fear. But I believe if I had the choice again, I would still do it."

Pham Giang (According to SCMP, PLA Daily, Beijing Daily)