Mr. Phan Minh Thang (born 2004, lives in Kdang commune, Dak Doa district, Gia Lai, VietNam) was treated for exhaustion at the Mang Yang district Medical Center in Gia Lai province on September 25.
Mr. Thang was successfully rescued the previous afternoon by troops from the Fire Prevention and Fighting Police Department – CHCN, in collaboration with Dak Djrang Commune Police and Mang Yang District Police, after being stuck in floodwaters for nine days.
Mr. Bui Van Son, Director of Mang Yang District Medical Center, stated that patient Phan Minh Thang was hospitalized due to tiredness. Mr. Thang’s health improved following therapy. However, the patient is presently suffering from acute sore throat and hurting feet as a result of being caught in the middle of the river for an extended period of time.
Mr. Nguyen Trung Hieu (Mr. Thang’s brother-in-law) stated that Mr. Thang’s mother sadly passed away suddenly and his father disappeared. Thang has been living with Mr. Hieu’s family for almost ten years now. More than a month ago, Mr. Thang sought for help selling coffee for a store in Mang Yang area.
On September 16, Mr. Thang left home to go to work but didn’t return by evening, so his family organized a search. Because they couldn’t find it, the next morning, the family reported it to the police. Along with that, the family also posted information on social networks asking for help from the community.
Mr. Hieu’s family wasn’t informed by the police until yesterday afternoon that they had successfully discovered and brought him ashore while Mr. Thang was trapped in the middle of the river. On September 16, he went to observe people fishing on the Ayun River’s mudflats and then fell asleep. After then, the river water surged and washed Thang away from the mudflats. Fortunately, Mr. Thang managed to cling to a shrub in the middle of the river and became trapped there.
“I didn’t dare swim to shore back then since the river was so huge and swift. To survive, I tried to grab on to tree branches and sip river water. I was frequently exhausted at night since it was so chilly and wet. I was quite weak. When I woke up, I was simply waiting for someone to walk by so I could shout for help, but there was no one,” Mr. Thang explained.
According to Mr. Thang, the confined region was completely empty. He didn’t have a phone with him and couldn’t call for aid.
