Lifeguards on the sea are like stunning sunflowers since there is hope for peace wherever they are. Despite facing many uncertainties and the ferocity of the sea, they still bravely cling to their profession.

Mr Tran Van Khoi is tying the mooring line in a rescue trip on the sea (left photo). Despite the dangerous nature of rescue work, he always wears a smile on his face. (Photo courtesy of the character)

Love of the sea has penetrated into skin and breath

Mr Tran Van Khoi, residing in Son Tra District, a crewman at the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre Region 2 (Danang MRCC), has had 18 years of experience in the profession. Sometimes, the sea is gentle and calm, but oftentimes it screams fiercely as if it wants to wash everything away. Rescue on the sea is similar to first aid on land because every moment is important to save the lives of victims.

In his rescue career, the event that made him unforgettable was the rescue of 4 crew members on the cargo ship Vietship 01 that crashed while anchored at Cua Viet beach, Quang Tri Province, in 2020. Because of that brave act, he was honoured and awarded the noble award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). More importantly, Mr Khoi is the first Vietnamese crewman to receive this prestigious award.

It has been nearly 2 years since the incident, he still regrets that he tried to reach out many times but it was not effective and could not save a lot of people. At that time, all 12 crew members having no drinking water or food on the ship called for help amid strong winds.

In particular, while discussing with his teammates to come up with a rescue plan, Mr Khoi saw 4 crew members on the ship in distress showed signs of panic and jumped into the sea. Although the sky was black, the seawater was red due to the influence of storms and floods, and high waves seemed to tear the sea, his motorboat decided to tear the raging waves to save the lives of 4 crew members. In that brief moment, he did not have enough time to think for himself but had to quickly save the victims because that is the sacred duty of a lifeguard.

The next day, the rescue helicopter rescued the remaining crew members to everyone's delight. Fear is common to almost everyone, but he told his heart to be strong and calm since if he was afraid, he would have failed his job. He always considers each person in distress as a relative, so a successful rescue is the immeasurable happiness of a rescuer.

"I just thought it was a normal task that I had to complete. Therefore, I was quite surprised to be highly appreciated by the IMO. It is a very motivating source of morale for me to continue to strive for better. I also want to affirm that Viet Nam's maritime search and rescue capacity is not inferior to that of other countries in the world. We will always stand side by side with fishermen and seafarers to help them feel secure to have favourable voyages and build a safe and prosperous Vietnamese sea," said Mr Khoi

In 2005, he started working at the 2 Danang MRCC Region 2 until now. During his 18 years with the sea, Mr Khoi has participated in hundreds of rescue trips on the sea such as assisting in the search and rescue of Su30 and Kasa 212 aircraft in the Gulf of Tonkin, searching for crew members of sunken cargo ships in the Quy Nhon sea.

As shared by Mr Khoi, the search and rescue team not only has expertise in navigation, swimming, and diving but also is very proficient in medical first aid or fire prevention. Since attaching his life to the sea, he has experienced countless times standing between the line between life and death. Even before each rescue trip, all crew members must write down their name, age and hometown because no one dares to be sure of anything amid the waves. However, the whole team has never thought of leaving the profession as the love of the sea has penetrated their skin and breath.

Mr Nguyen Huu Toan Chung is always enthusiastic about the rescue profession, hoping to bring peace to visitors. Photo: T.V

Follow the conscience

Mr Nguyen Huu Toan Chung, an employee of the Rescue Team No 10 of the Da Nang Beach Rescue Team, was born and raised in the ancient fishing village of Man Thai, so he considers the sea as one of his friends. In the past, he had worked in a host of different professions but then still returned to work as a lifeguard. Perhaps, the profession chose him so he couldn't quit. So far, Mr Chung has been working as a beach rescuer for more than 4 years.

In 2022, he was called a hero when he saved 4 people's lives swept away by waves in the middle of the night. “That day, when I finished my last shift, I met a group of 6 friends who went to the beach for a walk.

After a while, I saw a female friend running for help because four of her friends were sinking. I panicked, but with a lifeguard instinct, I immediately used the lifeboat to rush out to the sea. After nearly 20 minutes of struggling with the waves, I brought 4 victims ashore. That was the situation for me to learn from and continue to do this job. Lifeguarding is quite dangerous, but it helps me replenish my mental health and is one of my great pride,” shared Mr Chung.

According to Mr Chung, the beach in Da Nang is generally quite calm, but not so that tourists and rescuers are subjective. Along the coast, there are a total of 12 lifeguard stations and the area where floating plastic buoys are placed is allowed to swim, but places with prohibited signs are not allowed.

People should choose a place where the waves are white and the water is clear for swimming. In contrast, in places where the sea water is turbid and flat, there is a vortex pond that moves underground.

“When going into the sea to save people, the rescuer must swim down the current since swimming backwards will be caught in the vortex and cannot escape. Also, when swimming in rough seas or big waves, you have to follow the direction of the waves, calmly handle when you are overwhelmed by the waves so as not to lose your breath and do not try to swim against the waves," Chung shared his experience.

Whether the weather is hot or cold, the rescue team is still active. They must always move around and observe the assigned area. If there is a bad situation, they rush to the sea immediately because sometimes if they neglect, something bad will happen.

"On successful rescue days, my meal and sleep are better, otherwise I'm always nagging and blaming myself. That's also the moment when I feel more clearly the meaning of the work I'm doing. This profession is likened to the profession of exchanging people's lives for people's lives, but I don't put much emphasis on it and only follow my conscience. When people have fun peacefully at sea, our rescue team is also happy," said Mr Chung.

Reporting by HUYNH TUONG VY- Translating by T.VY