Phan Minh Thang, a 19-year-old from Kdang commune in Dak Doa district, Gia Lai, Vietnam, was treated for exhaustion at the Mang Yang District Medical Center on September 25 after a remarkable rescue. Thang had been trapped in floodwaters for nine days before being saved by the Fire Prevention and Fighting Police Department, along with local police.

According to Mr. Bui Van Son, the Director of the Mang Yang District Medical Center, Thang was admitted due to fatigue but showed signs of improvement after treatment. However, he is currently suffering from a severe sore throat and painful feet due to his prolonged ordeal in the river.

Thang’s brother-in-law, Mr. Nguyen Trung Hieu, shared that Thang has faced significant hardships, having lost his mother unexpectedly and his father missing. For the past ten years, he has lived with Mr. Hieu’s family. Recently, Thang had sought work selling coffee in the Mang Yang area.

On September 16, Thang left home for work but did not return, prompting his family to organize a search. When they couldn’t locate him, they contacted the police the following morning and also reached out to the community for assistance via social media.

The police informed Mr. Hieu’s family the day after Thang’s rescue that they had successfully brought him ashore after he had been trapped in the river. On the day he went missing, Thang had been fishing on the Ayun River’s mudflats when the rising water suddenly swept him away. Fortunately, he managed to cling to a plant in the middle of the river.

“I didn’t dare swim to shore because the river was so wide and fast. To survive, I held onto tree branches and drank river water. I felt very weak at night because it was so cold and rainy. I just waited for someone to pass by so I could shout for help, but there was no one,” Thang recounted. He also noted that the area was completely deserted, and without a phone, he couldn’t call for help.