A 36-year-old man who survived the capsizing of a tour boat in Ha Long Bay has recounted his harrowing escape by swimming out through an underwater window.
Dang Anh Tuan recounted the incident, which occurred during a thunderstorm while he was on a three-hour sightseeing tour with 11 friends from the university. Now, only three members of his group are alive; the others, including a man with his wife and three-year-old son, died among the at least 38 fatalities.
Survivor accounts tell of a sudden storm enveloping the sky, bringing heavy rain and strong winds. Initially, the crew of the Wonder Sea reassured passengers they were close to their destination, but soon after, the boat capsized. “The boat overturned in less than a minute,” Tuan revealed. “Water gushed in, and I became disoriented. I managed to remain calm, discarded my life vest, and dove down. I spotted a light and followed it, reaching the surface and climbing onto the overturned boat to seek help.”
People on a capsized tourist boat being rescued in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. Pic: QDND via AP
The Wonder Sea is towed to a shipyard after capsizing. Pic: (Huy Han/AP)
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Mr. Tuan clung to the overturned boat for two hours until the rain stopped and help arrived. Rescue efforts saved 11 people, including a 14-year-old boy trapped for four hours in the overturned hull; however, one survivor later died in the hospital, according to VNExpress.
Local reports indicate that most passengers were tourists from Hanoi, some as young as children, and the boat flipped due to high winds.
Mr. Tuan escaped with minor injuries, while another survivor suffered head injuries and a third had tendon cuts from attempting to escape through a broken window.
Dang Thuy Linh’s family are missing. Pic: AP
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Source: https://news.sky.com/story/man-tells-of-escape-from-capsized-ha-long-bay-tourist-boat-13399153
