Last Friday, the Da Nang Border Guard High Command presented a Certificate of Merit and a financial reward from the city budget to fisherman Nguyen Thanh Van for his active involvement in helping fishermen in distress.

Mr Van (right) receiving his award from a border guard representative

At 8.30pm on 8 April, fishing vessel QNa 90191 from Quang Nam Province’s Nui Thanh District, with 4 crew members on board, was rammed by an unindentifed steel-hulled fishing boat at the Tien Sa Port and it sank.  At the time, the vessel was en route to the Tho Quang fishing wharf to sell its newly-caught seafood.

Immediately after witnessing the incident, 48-year-old Van, captain of fishing boat QNa 91324 from the same province and operating nearby, joined efforts with the local border guard officers and men to help the fishermen in distress. 

By 10.30pm the same day, the victims had been safely transported to the mainland.