The Ha Long Bay Boat Accident Survivor: We Swam for 3 Hours Before Being Rescued.

Green Gulf 58 (QN 7105) capsized in Ha Long Bay

According to Mr. Quân, on July 19, after completing the work assigned by his company in Quang Ninh, he boarded the Green Gulf 58 (QN 7105) for a Ha Long Bay tour on route 2. The ship departed from the Ha Long International Passenger Port.

“The weather was fine, but a storm and squall arrived very suddenly. Within 10 to 15 minutes, it rained a little, and then the squall hit, causing the ship to capsize. I was standing on the upper deck at the time. Most of the passengers and crew on board did not have time to put on life jackets,” Mr. Quân recalled.

Mr. Nguyễn Hồng Quân swam for three hours in the sea before being rescued and brought to shore.

When asked if the ship had announced and requested passengers to wear life jackets, Mr. Quân said, “There wasn’t enough time. Even the captain didn’t have time to put one on because the weather deteriorated too quickly.”

Mr. Quân recalled that when he fell into the sea, he tried to swim away from the deck and, along with some others, managed to hold on to a wooden chair. They then swam aimlessly in the sea.

“Four of us clung to the chair, thinking of a way to swim to shore, but one man became exhausted and let go. The three of us swam for three hours but couldn’t reach the shore. I encouraged everyone to keep going and swim to survive. After that, we swam back to the area where ships usually pass by and were lucky to be spotted by a fishing boat. The fishermen rescued us and took us to shore,” Mr. Quân recounted.

Mr. Vũ Anh Tú, who sustained an injury to his hand, was among those rescued and brought safely to shore.

It is known that Mr. Mai Quân Hải from Bac Ninh and Mr. Nguyễn Anh Tú, a native of Quang Ninh, swam alongside Mr. Quân. Mr. Hải’s group consisted of 13 adults and one child.

In the incident involving the capsizing of QN 7105, as of 9:45 p.m. on July 19, the authorities had rescued 10 people and recovered 34 bodies.