Three people in a family from Dak Nong Province, located in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, have been killed after their boat capsized on their way home after work.

The raft carrying five family members in Quang Son Commune, Dak G’Long District, was submerged in the middle of a reservoir on Sunday morning, two of whom were brought to safety while the others lost their lives.

The tragedy happened at around 9:00 am when Dang Anh Quoc, 37, was taking four other people, including his wife, Ly Thi Mai, their two children, and Mai’s younger brother, Ly Van Tien, across the lake after working at a nearby coffee plantation.

Two young men on a boat traveling nearby spotted the victims shortly after the accident and managed to rescue Mai and her six-year-old daughter, Dang Thi Thao Vy, while the other three were nowhere to be found.

Rescuers found three bodies, including Quoc, his 11-year-old son, Dang Anh Giap, and Tien, the same night.

According to Do Ngoc Hieu, chairman of the Quang Son People’s Committee, the family members were migrants from the northern part of Vietnam and earned a living solely by growing coffee.

The raft was also carrying about one metric ton of coffee beans they had just harvested from the farm, Mai recounted, adding that their boat was hit by a strong wind.

The reservoir where the tragedy happened. Photo: Tuoi Tre

“The wind caused our boat to lose balance while a strong wave damaged its side, leading to water leaking into it,” the woman continued.

“My husband told us to throw all the coffee beans into the water but the effort could not prevent the boat from sinking,” she added.

Quoc tried to keep Mai and their daughter from drowning, Mai stated, adding that their son and her brother had already sunk to the bottom of the lake as they could not swim.

After carrying Mai and the little girl to the nearby raft, Quoc attempted to save the young boy and lost his life in the process.

According to Mai, the family owns a one-hectare coffee plantation about a kilometer from their house.

They took their children to the farm to celebrate New Year before transporting the harvested coffee back to their home on the boat, she added.

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