Three men, who had drifted off its shores Vietnam from typhoon Kalmagi, were found on Saturday safe and sound, having remained in sea for more than 40 hours.
“We were absolutely stunned, it was like we were living a miracle,” Pan Hau, 40, told AFP after his ship, the An Vinh Express, rescued one of the men in Vietnam who had been stranded at sea.
“None of us believed he could be alive. “Most of the 10 people on board thought we were only looking for his body, not that he was still breathing,” added the sailor.
According to Vietnamese state media, the three men went missing on Thursday afternoon after one of them, Duong Quang Cuong, aged 44, was found in the water following a family dispute.
Quang Sanh and Pham Dui Quang attempted to rescue Duong Quang Quang in a small boat equipped with life jackets, but the boat capsized and the three men drifted offshore and away from each other.
Pham Dui Quang was the first to be picked up on Saturday morning from the Hai Nam 39 ship south of Li Son Island (centre), where the men had originally left, according to state media.
Port authorities were then notified, who dispatched the An Vinh Express, according to Pham Hau.
In a video taken by Phan Hau with his phone, Le Quang Sanh can be seen floating alone on the surface of the water as crew members call his name and throw him a life jacket.
Quang Sanh was conscious, but disoriented after so many hours in the water. He asked his rescuers why they had gone to look for him, as he was “just swimming,” according to Fan Hau.
Duong Quang Quang, the man who initially jumped into the sea, was rescued by a third boat, according to Vietnamese media.
The three men are still hospitalized today, according to the same source.
Typhoon Kalmaggi hit central Vietnam on Thursday, killing at least five people and leaving more than 200 dead in the Philippines.