For more than 15 years of working in maritime search and rescue, Mr. Tran Van Khoi from the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) of Zone II has not been afraid of difficulties and dangers to save many lives.

Mr. Tran Van Khoi (right) and his teammates save a fishing boat in distress at sea

Till date, he still can't remember how many missions he has performed or how many fishermen he has saved.

During 15 years of working at the centre, he has hardly ever gone back to his hometown in Duc Tho - Ha Tinh to celebrate Tet with his family.

Like other crew members working on search and rescue ships, he is always ready to go on a mission when ordered.

Mr. Khoi recalled an unexpected mission on the first day of Tet 2020. At that time, he and his teammates received an SOS message from the NORDANA MALEE ship under the flag of Thailand when they were gathering around a pot of ‘banh chung’ (square glutinous rice cake).

Accordingly, an engine officer onboard had a stroke when the ship was en route from South Korea’s Busan to Ho Chi Minh City.

After receiving the SOS message from the foreign ship, Mr. Khoi and his teammates immediately went on a mission. Thanks to timely treatment, the victim was later out of danger. Although there was no perfect Tet holiday, for them, saving a life was an incomparable joy and happiness.

Besides, Mr. Khoi and his teammates participated in many rescue operations such as the SU30 MK2 and CASA-212 aircrafts in the Gulf of Tonkin, and crew members of sunken cargo ships in the Quy Nhon waters due to storm No. 12 in 2017.

The man said that every time he left, he was determined to face many dangers, so he cherishes life very much.

“Life is very fragile. That's why I appreciate every second of my life and the joy of saving someone is multiplied," he shared. When he saw victims returning to the mainland in the arms of their beloved ones, he and his teammates couldn't hide their joy.

As for fishermen, Mr. Khoi and other people involving the maritime search and rescue work, are the saviors and a solid support for them to feel secure when conducting fishing activities at sea.

Natural disasters are becoming more severe, so the task of rescue workers like Mr. Khoi is even more difficult. Therefore, he hopes to have more opportunities to hone and improve his professional skills and expertise to better fulfill his assigned tasks.

Reporting by THAO TRANG - Translating by M.DUNG