One year after a horrific accident on the Serepok river in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak occured, killing 34 people and critically injuring dozens more, Le Van Hieu, one of the first locals to arrive at the scene and begin rescuing people, finally feels a huge sense of relief as he’s been cleared of hoarding the victims’ valuables during the rescue.

Around 10:30pm on May 17, 2012, Hieu was dozing in his home in Buon Ma Thuot city’s Hoa Phu commune when he heard a deafening, piercing sound.

He and his son instantly dashed off to the Serepok bridge, where a tragic scene appeared: a big coach was overturned, damaged beyond repair in the river, with dozens of critically injured victims stuck inside.

Hieu, his wife and children, along with many other locals, spent the whole night trying to get the victims, many of whom died later, out.

“My family also spent the next few days tending to the victims and accident site. I really don’t know why malicious rumors soon spread that I stole the victims’ valuables. I was really upset then,” Hieu confided.

Hieu’s name was only cleared when he was recently hailed by the National Traffic Safety Committee for the remarkable deed and was honored with a merit certificate from the Prime Minister.

“We really appreciate and are hugely grateful to the rescuers’ prompt, selfless acts, which played a significant role in the relief to the accident victims. Many victims’ relatives later paid visits to the rescuers and no one ever complained about any loss of money or valuables as rumored,” said Le Xuan Bieu, former head of the provincial Transportation Department.

“It was pitch black at the accident scene. The victims were unapproachable without hammers and saws, so how could Hieu have pinched their valuables? Besides, as his neighbor, I know though poor, Hieu’s a kind-hearted man, who has also saved the lives of several people who were attempting suicide,” said Nguyen Sy Hung, a local official.

Hieu and his family also pay regular visits and burn incense to the perished at the accident site.

A fisherman who’s good at swimming, Hieu has wrested dozens of attempted suicides from death.

“Some suicides occur on this bridge every year. I feel uneasy at the ‘suicide peak’ hours in the day until I come out to take a look and make sure everything is okay,” Hieu shared.

“I really feel agonized whenever the victims are already dead when I reach them,” he added.