It was the right decision at the right time. Pham Lam Vu, 39, knowsthat now, since two people are safe after he saved them from the fierceflood in November in the central province of Quang Ngai.
But his decision caused many tears from his wife, and much worryingfrom his father, as well as his taking a huge chance by risking hislife.
"I cried a lot when he decided to sail theboat into the dark night to face the strong currents from the floodduring heavy rains. It was too dangerous. I have never seen such strongfloods. I prayed to the soul of my late mother-in-law to protect myhusband," says Bui Thi Mai Ha, Vu's wife.
The womanwas recalling the moment Vu started his life and death trip to save twopeople. "I cried then prayed, prayed then cried. Those three hours were anightmare to me. More rains gave me more pains. Flood waters were like awaterfall."
Early on November 15, continuouslyheavy rains in central provinces, from Thua Thien-Hue to Khanh Hoa,caused high water levels in every river in the region.
The region's hydro-power reservoirs were filled by high waters andwhen officials had to release waters in large volumes, it caused themost rapid and heaviest floods that local residents had ever seen.
In Quang Ngai, the flood waters inundated lowlands in the earlyafternoon, with flooding quickly increasing. Locals did not have even alittle time to move to higher and safer places.
Some in the province's Nghia Hanh district did not think that the floodscould grow so quickly, thus they continued traveling, though the waterhad risen to the height of their knees.
Nguyen ThaiHanh, 67, left his weak wife on the second floor of his new house tomove to his adjacent old house to pick up some necessities. Some 10minutes later, when he was on his way back to the new house afterretrieving the items he needed, strong currents sent him to a telephonepole, Hanh says.
Then the waters carried off hisdaughter-in-law, who was walking behind him, and threw her into a wildpineapple bush. Hanh grabbed hold of his daughter-in-law and the twoheld onto a post, until they pulled a wooden board from the water andattached it to the pole and stood on it. The two later moved the boardup higher when flood waters continued to rise.
Butthey ran out of space when flood waters reached their peak at 11pm andthe rain was continuing. Hanh and his daughter-in-law began thinking ofdeath as water reached their waists. They were in the water for sixhours and were cold, and filled with fear and hopelessness.
At the same time, Hanh' son, who lives in Ho Chi Minh City and is anacquaintance of Vu, rang Vu's phone to ask for help to save his fatherand his wife.
A wealthy neighbour of Vu evenoffered a reward of 50 million VND (around 2,400 USD) to anyone whocould rescue Hanh, a friend of his, but no one accepted.
Vu, however, knew nothing. He was busy saving merchandise at thedepartment store, which is run by his wife, as flood waters rose closerto the ceiling of the first floor of his house. The store is located onthe first floor, while his father, wife and son were safe on the secondfloor.
"When he got to the second floor to rest,everything was safe from the water and he was really tired. But hejumped into the water again after I told him about the phone calls forhelp," recalled his wife, Mai Ha.
"It had beendangerous, I told him and begged him to stay home. But he started tountie his bamboo boat, saying again that the victims needed to be saved.
Every family in the area has a boat, though Vu'sboat was filled with mattresses from his wife's store, and it wasblocked by a steel door held tight by strong flood waters on theoutside.
It took him almost 20 minutes to dive intothe flood waters to release water. This was a long time as his fathercried, thinking Vu was dead from exhaustion.
Vufinally got on board with his 68-year-old father, who wanted to be withhim to balance the weak boat on the fierce waters at around 11pm.
"I was shocked as I saw him on the boat. He's a true hero to dareconfront that kind of strong flood," the next-door neighbour says.
Things got tough for Vu, and his wife began to pray while crying. Onesteering oar was pulled from his father's hands, and had to be replacedby a wooden chuck taken out of the water.
Meanwhile, Vu received a serious cut on his hand as water pushed his boat along a steel roof that had a sharp edge.
"I had to move horizontally on the water to find a wider space to sailalong the flows vertically," Vu says. He then stopped at his relative'shouse for another flashlight. This stop allowed a strong companion tojoin them, Nguyen Van Nhat.
"The boat moved soquickly in a few minutes and we luckily stopped near the pole where Hanhand his daughter-in-law were being held. We caught the pole so we couldstop," Vu says.
"At that time, Hanh was so cold hecould not say a word. We were so happy to get him on board, but weneeded all our strength to sail 100m to reach Hanh's house."
Vu finally reached Hanh's house and safety for two people who werethought to be dead, though his father had fainted from exhaustion. Itwas midnight.
Days after the flood, discussions bylocal residents in the Hanh Dung Commune was about their hero, Vu. Buthe refused the praise, saying: "It was a must for anybody if theyreceived a call for help. I received the call and I knew I must do it,as would any normal person."
In another commune,Hanh Tin Tay, local resident Ho So, with his two sons and a relative,used their boat in the afternoon to bring 80 people from the lowlands tosafer areas, before the flood rose higher.
They are also heroes, but for his actions when the flood waters were at their peak, Vu could be called the hero of heroes.
Tran Quang Vinh, deputy chairman of Hanh Dung commune and also head ofthe commune's rescue team, said: "Vu was so brave. I experienced thisfierce flood and knew how dangerous it was."
Vinhalso praised Vu for his reputation as a good man in the community andfor having a very good family business that he and his wife developedwith their bare hands.
"I am so proud of him. I knewat that time I could not stop him from sailing in the flood because ofhis kind-heartedness. I married him for that," Vu's wife, Mai Ha, sayswhile smiling.-VNA
But his decision caused many tears from his wife, and much worryingfrom his father, as well as his taking a huge chance by risking hislife.
"I cried a lot when he decided to sail theboat into the dark night to face the strong currents from the floodduring heavy rains. It was too dangerous. I have never seen such strongfloods. I prayed to the soul of my late mother-in-law to protect myhusband," says Bui Thi Mai Ha, Vu's wife.
The womanwas recalling the moment Vu started his life and death trip to save twopeople. "I cried then prayed, prayed then cried. Those three hours were anightmare to me. More rains gave me more pains. Flood waters were like awaterfall."
Early on November 15, continuouslyheavy rains in central provinces, from Thua Thien-Hue to Khanh Hoa,caused high water levels in every river in the region.
The region's hydro-power reservoirs were filled by high waters andwhen officials had to release waters in large volumes, it caused themost rapid and heaviest floods that local residents had ever seen.
In Quang Ngai, the flood waters inundated lowlands in the earlyafternoon, with flooding quickly increasing. Locals did not have even alittle time to move to higher and safer places.
Some in the province's Nghia Hanh district did not think that the floodscould grow so quickly, thus they continued traveling, though the waterhad risen to the height of their knees.
Nguyen ThaiHanh, 67, left his weak wife on the second floor of his new house tomove to his adjacent old house to pick up some necessities. Some 10minutes later, when he was on his way back to the new house afterretrieving the items he needed, strong currents sent him to a telephonepole, Hanh says.
Then the waters carried off hisdaughter-in-law, who was walking behind him, and threw her into a wildpineapple bush. Hanh grabbed hold of his daughter-in-law and the twoheld onto a post, until they pulled a wooden board from the water andattached it to the pole and stood on it. The two later moved the boardup higher when flood waters continued to rise.
Butthey ran out of space when flood waters reached their peak at 11pm andthe rain was continuing. Hanh and his daughter-in-law began thinking ofdeath as water reached their waists. They were in the water for sixhours and were cold, and filled with fear and hopelessness.
At the same time, Hanh' son, who lives in Ho Chi Minh City and is anacquaintance of Vu, rang Vu's phone to ask for help to save his fatherand his wife.
A wealthy neighbour of Vu evenoffered a reward of 50 million VND (around 2,400 USD) to anyone whocould rescue Hanh, a friend of his, but no one accepted.
Vu, however, knew nothing. He was busy saving merchandise at thedepartment store, which is run by his wife, as flood waters rose closerto the ceiling of the first floor of his house. The store is located onthe first floor, while his father, wife and son were safe on the secondfloor.
"When he got to the second floor to rest,everything was safe from the water and he was really tired. But hejumped into the water again after I told him about the phone calls forhelp," recalled his wife, Mai Ha.
"It had beendangerous, I told him and begged him to stay home. But he started tountie his bamboo boat, saying again that the victims needed to be saved.
Every family in the area has a boat, though Vu'sboat was filled with mattresses from his wife's store, and it wasblocked by a steel door held tight by strong flood waters on theoutside.
It took him almost 20 minutes to dive intothe flood waters to release water. This was a long time as his fathercried, thinking Vu was dead from exhaustion.
Vufinally got on board with his 68-year-old father, who wanted to be withhim to balance the weak boat on the fierce waters at around 11pm.
"I was shocked as I saw him on the boat. He's a true hero to dareconfront that kind of strong flood," the next-door neighbour says.
Things got tough for Vu, and his wife began to pray while crying. Onesteering oar was pulled from his father's hands, and had to be replacedby a wooden chuck taken out of the water.
Meanwhile, Vu received a serious cut on his hand as water pushed his boat along a steel roof that had a sharp edge.
"I had to move horizontally on the water to find a wider space to sailalong the flows vertically," Vu says. He then stopped at his relative'shouse for another flashlight. This stop allowed a strong companion tojoin them, Nguyen Van Nhat.
"The boat moved soquickly in a few minutes and we luckily stopped near the pole where Hanhand his daughter-in-law were being held. We caught the pole so we couldstop," Vu says.
"At that time, Hanh was so cold hecould not say a word. We were so happy to get him on board, but weneeded all our strength to sail 100m to reach Hanh's house."
Vu finally reached Hanh's house and safety for two people who werethought to be dead, though his father had fainted from exhaustion. Itwas midnight.
Days after the flood, discussions bylocal residents in the Hanh Dung Commune was about their hero, Vu. Buthe refused the praise, saying: "It was a must for anybody if theyreceived a call for help. I received the call and I knew I must do it,as would any normal person."
In another commune,Hanh Tin Tay, local resident Ho So, with his two sons and a relative,used their boat in the afternoon to bring 80 people from the lowlands tosafer areas, before the flood rose higher.
They are also heroes, but for his actions when the flood waters were at their peak, Vu could be called the hero of heroes.
Tran Quang Vinh, deputy chairman of Hanh Dung commune and also head ofthe commune's rescue team, said: "Vu was so brave. I experienced thisfierce flood and knew how dangerous it was."
Vinhalso praised Vu for his reputation as a good man in the community andfor having a very good family business that he and his wife developedwith their bare hands.
"I am so proud of him. I knewat that time I could not stop him from sailing in the flood because ofhis kind-heartedness. I married him for that," Vu's wife, Mai Ha, sayswhile smiling.-VNA
