After a small cruise ship carrying 56 people capsized in the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang last weekend, many passengers were rescued by the heroism of local residents and operators of nearby tourist boats.

Two days after the waterway accident, passengers aboard the ship Thao Van 2, which overturned on Saturday night, have recovered from the trauma after being treated at local hospitals and are now looking for their rescuers.

Originally a fishing boat, the vessel was carrying twice its capacity at the time of the incident.

Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters have followed some of the victims to meet the heroic locals who risked their lives to save others, asking them to share their insights into the experience.

Mai Viet Dung and Nguyen Khanh Truong, both 26 and crew members of a local tourist speedboat named ‘Bien Dao Viet’ (Vietnamese Seas and Islands), were transporting 15 passengers across the river on the night of the incident.

The two spotted the Thao Van 2 losing balance while boarding passengers screamed for help, and steered their boat close to the victims.

Truong tried to help people by throwing life jackets and ropes into the water, before jumping into the river himself to assist them.

Meanwhile, Dung handled the speedboat, trying to prevent it from losing balance as many people were holding onto one side of it, and at the same time notifying and calling for the support of other ships operating nearby. 

Truong said he was well aware of what to do in such a frantic situation as he grew up in a coastal district and was trained in proper first aid and swimming skills in the military.

“I tried to save as many lives as possible, including a young girl who had lost consciousness,” Truong recalled.

“As I was helping the little girl, about five or six other people held onto my back. It took every last breath to drag the group of passengers to the side of the speedboat,” the crew member continued.

Truong and Dung then transferred the first group of victims to another cruise ship, Phu Quy, and returned to the scene to continue their rescue effort.

“Despite the risk, I had no other choice. I know other people would do the same thing. I am happy with myself for saving many passengers,” Truong said.

Le Van Hoa, 23, and his brother, 37-year-old Le Van Phu, two crew members of the Phu Quy cruise ship, also saved some 20 lives that night.

Hoa and Phu were helping travelers board their ship when they heard the screaming, resulting in the two hopping on a speedboat and rushing toward the sinking ship.

They managed to rescue 12 people in their first attempt before returning to the scene to bring another eight victims to safety, including a young girl who had fainted and two foreigners.

“After being given CPR, the girl regained consciousness and burst into tears. I was so relieved that she was alive,” Phu recounted.

Luu Chi Dung and his brother-in-law, Nguyen Duc Tai, could not hold back their tears when they were reunited with their saviors, who rescued them and their family members.

The two were traveling on the Thao Van 2 with six other members of the family, including Dung’s wife and their 10-month-old baby, who were all saved by the four locals.

“You have brought my entire family back to life. I cannot thank you enough,” Dung stated.

“I now know the kindness of the people in Da Nang for which I am deeply touched and grateful,” Tai added.

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