Vietnamese man survives 9 days stranded on tree amid river

Phan Minh Thang was rescued on Tuesday from the Ayun River and is currently recovering at a medical center. His ordeal began on Sept. 16 when he went to the river's floodplain to watch people fish. After dozing off, Thang woke to find floodwaters rapidly rising, leaving him stranded and unable to swim back to shore.

Thang said when he woke up, he was alone and the water has already surrounded him. Attempts to call for help were futile, as no one was nearby. As the heavy rain continued, the floodwaters carried him roughly 500 m downstream. In desperation, Thang grabbed hold of a tree branch and clung to it for the next nine days, surviving by drinking river water and sleeping atop the tree at night.

A local resident spotted Thang on Tuesday and he was rescued by local police. Using life vests and ropes, it took rescuers 15 minutes to bring him to safety.

Thang, who was motionless at the time of his rescue, had been stranded in a river section 4 meters deep and 30 meters from the nearest land, making any attempt to swim impossible.

"I didn't think I would survive," Thang said.

 

 

Vietnamese man survives 9 days stranded on tree amid river

Sống sót sau 9 ngày mắc kẹt giữa sông

Nguyen Trung Hieu, Thang's brother-in-law, said Thang had been living with him and his wife after the death of his mother and his father's absence. Thang had recently found work at a café in Mang Yang District and was last seen heading to work on Sept. 16. When he failed to return that night, his family reported him missing after a fruitless search.

Bui Van Son, the director of Mang Yang District medical center, said Thang was hospitalized in poor condition, suffering from a sore throat and infected feet, but he is now recovering.

Bui Truong Giang, vice director of the Hung Vuong Gia Lai Hospital, one of the largest in the province, said a person who has not eaten in 7-10 days will begin to derive energy from stored fat, protein and sugar. When someone is stranded, there may not be much movement, meaning more energy would be conserved, he said.

Nguyen Huy Hoang, a doctor at the Vietnam-Russia hyperbaric oxygen center of the Ministry of National Defense, said a person usually only lasts 4-5 days with solely water for sustenance. However, those in good physical conditions can withstand even the toughest circumstances.

"Surviving after such a long time [like Thang's case] is extremely rare," Hoang said, adding that he needs close monitoring for full recovery, and to prevent complications in future.