Vũ Anh Tú, 25, a resident of Hà An Ward in Quảng Ninh Province and one of the survivors of the Vịnh Xanh 58 tourist vessel that capsized without warning on Saturday in Hạ Long Bay.— VNA/VNS Photo

HẠ LONG — Ten survivors of the Vịnh Xanh 58 tourist vessel that capsized without little warning on Saturday in Hạ Long Bay are still haunted by their desperate struggle for survival at sea and the unimaginable losses of their loved ones.

What began as a routine sightseeing cruise on the world-famous bay turned into a nightmare when a sudden squall and ferocious waves struck without warning on Saturday, capsizing the boat with 49 people on board. Thirty-six lives were lost in the disaster, while three people remain missing, while search efforts continued under the pressure to find every victim before Typhoon Wipha strikes.

At Quảng Ninh Province’s General Hospital, crew member Vũ Anh Tú, 25, a resident of the province's Hà An Ward, recalled the moment the vessel flipped.

“The wind was fierce. Then a massive wave slammed into the starboard side, capsizing the boat from right to left. It took no more than ten seconds.”

The Vịnh Xanh 58 had left port at 12.55pm that day. Barely half an hour later, disaster struck.

“I was in the cabin. It all happened too fast to react. When the boat flipped, everything went pitch black,” Tú said.

Despite suffering deep gashes from collisions with hard objects, he remained calm, diving towards a faint light to reach the surface.

“I still don’t know how I survived. I must have been incredibly lucky,” he said through tears.

Once above water, Tú clung to a floating wooden bench with two others. As they drifted further from the wreck, they endured three hours of rough seas until rescue finally came.

Hoàng Nhật Minh, 10, of Hoàng Mai Ward in Hà Nội, is also one of the 10 survivors of the tragedy. — VNA/VNS Photo

Among the survivors is 10-year-old Hoàng Nhật Minh, of Hoàng Mai Ward, Hà Nội, whose harrowing story has touched the nation.

He was holidaying in Hạ Long Bay with his parents and younger sister.

Minh is now the sole confirmed survivor of his family, a devastating fate that has left the child orphaned.

At first, he was hospitalised at the Quảng Ninh Province’s General Hospital on Saturday, then moved to the National Paediatrics Hospital on Sunday for treatment.

Minh’s account offers a chilling glimpse into the moments before the catastrophe.

“When the wind picked up, the crew told everyone to put on life jackets. We had just finished when water rushed into the cabin. Then the boat suddenly tilted and capsized,” he said.

Still traumatised, Minh recalled being struck in the head by a wooden plank.

“I passed out underwater. Even with the life jacket, my face was pressed against the floor, I couldn’t breathe. My dad saw me and pulled me out. I swallowed so much water, it hurt terribly. I crawled into an engine compartment where I could breathe... but I couldn’t see dad anymore.”

Nguyễn Hồng Quân, 40, from Nghệ An Province, also survived.— VNA/VNS Photo

Nguyễn Hồng Quân, 40, from Nghệ An Province, also survived the ordeal.

He had just completed a work assignment in Quảng Ninh Province and on a whim, decided to buy a ticket for a cave tour.

“At 12.55pm, the boat left Hạ Long International Passenger Port under clear skies. About 30 minutes later, heavy rain started. Then the wind picked up violently, and when a huge wave hit, the boat capsized,” he said.

The vessel listed too quickly for anyone to react.

“It went dark all around. I held my breath and searched for an escape,” he said. Spotting a faint light from the kitchen area, he followed it, using the stairs to reach the surface.

After swimming about 50m, he saw a floating wooden bench, likely dislodged from the boat. Grabbing it as a makeshift lifebuoy, he clung on for dear life.

Moments later, three other men surfaced and grabbed the bench. But just 15 minutes in, one man, around 40 years old, lost strength.

“Then the man said ‘Goodbye, brothers. I’m done,’ then let go and slipped beneath the water. His farewell and his desperate eyes haunt me still,” Quân said, voice choked with emotion.

Along with Vũ Anh Tú and another survivor, Quân kept shouting and waving for help whenever a vessel appeared on the horizon.

After more than three hours adrift, a passing fisherman heard faint cries for help and rushed to rescue the men, who by then were utterly exhausted and barely holding on.

“If we had drifted just one hour more, I don’t think we’d have made it,” Quân said.

Trying to save others

Also aboard the boat were eight members of Đinh Đức Hiệp’s family.

When the storm hit, they were trapped inside the vessel. Amid the chaos, Hiệp’s mother became stuck and could barely breathe.

“She told me to go and save myself, that she couldn’t breathe any longer,” Hiệp said.

But Hiệp refused to leave her.

He pulled her up, kept her afloat, then dived back into the wreck to save others.

Rising to the surface each time, he shouted directions: “If you can still breathe, head this way! Kick to the right, there’s an exit! I’m here to pull you out!”

His voice was a beacon of hope amid terror and confusion.

He rescued his mother, one man and two women, and tried valiantly to save another man, but the latter succumbed to his injuries.

Holding back grief, Hiệp tied the body to prevent it drifting away, then continued his search, this time for his girlfriend.

“After 10 to 15 minutes, I found her. I tried cardiopulmonary resuscitation … but it was too late. She had swallowed too much water… and fuel,” he said, clutching a hospital blanket with trembling hands.

Among those he saved was T.T.H., who lost both husband and child in the tragedy.

“If not for Hiệp, I wouldn’t be alive,” she said, sobbing in his arms. “But it’s painful because my husband and child are gone.”

Rescue and national response

The moment the reports came in, Quảng Ninh Province authorities mobilised emergency search and rescue operations.

Nearly 1,000 personnel and 100 rescue craft and other boats were deployed.

At 3.15pm on Saturday, head of the Hòn Gai Port Border Station Lieutenant Colonel Phan Văn Quân received a call from operations chief at Hạ Long International Passenger Port Bùi Quang Tuấn, reporting the loss of contact with the Vịnh Xanh 58 vessel.

Within seconds, emergency measures were underway.

Lieutenant Colonel Lê Thế Dũng, deputy head of the border station, led a rescue team from the Hạ Long Bay Management Board to the site, while another unit on patrol was redirected to join the operation.

“Every second mattered. The faster we moved, the more lives we could save,” Dũng said.

After 15 minutes battling high winds and heavy rain, Dũng’s team reached the scene.

Three survivors were clinging to the exposed rudder at the stern.

“The first rescue boat had already arrived and pulled four victims from the water. We saw three more holding onto the rudder, including one woman who was barely conscious and another man with a severe leg injury from shattered glass,” Dũng said.

A border guard leapt onto the partially submerged hull, tied a rope for support and helped bring the three onboard.

With no further cries for help heard, the rescue team rushed the survivors ashore for emergency treatment.

“From departure to bringing victims back took just 30 minutes. We were racing against time and the storm,” he added.

The provincial Border Command had ambulances ready for triage and hospital transfers.

The rescue boat returned immediately to the wreckage and picked up three more survivors who were retrieved by the Border Guard 2 vessel.

Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà directs local rescue forces in the search for victims at midnight on Saturday in Quảng Ninh Province.— VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vân

In a related move, the Prime Minister issued an urgent dispatch 114/CĐ-TTg, and Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà, along with Acting Minister of Agriculture and Environment Trần Đức Thắng, travelled to Quảng Ninh Province to oversee the operation.

At the scene, Hà ordered elite teams to assist in retrieval and expanded search zones to prioritise finding the missing and ensuring rescuer safety.

At a press briefing on Sunday, Deputy Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Nguyễn Văn Công announced long-term support plans for the victims, especially orphaned children.

“We are coordinating with the Fatherland Front to provide sustained assistance. The aim is to help these children reintegrate into society,” he said, adding that the aid would be formalised into specific policies with a clear roadmap.

Emergency financial assistance for the victims has also been arranged by other localities, including Hà Nội and Bắc Ninh Province, with sponsorship plans for children who lost family members.

The Vịnh Xanh 58 was salvaged early on Sunday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vân

By 2am on Sunday, the Vịnh Xanh 58 had been salvaged.

The sinking of the Vinh Xanh 58 was caused by an abrupt tropical squall, triggered by a convergence zone and extreme heat.

The heartbreaking tragedy is a stark and costly reminder of the importance of accurate weather forecasting, maritime safety and strict adherence to operational regulations.

Investigations are now underway to determine accountability and draw vital lessons to prevent future disasters, ensuring Hạ Long Bay remains a safe and welcoming destination.— VNS