The Con Dao National Park and Six Senses Con Dao, a luxury resort on the island, reported that a green sea turtle (Lepidochelys Olivacea) weighing about 50kg crawled onto Dat Doc Beach (in the island district of Con Dao, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province) on December 14 and laid 98 eggs before returning to the sea.
Bui Thi Thu Hien, a sea turtle expert of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), told baochinhphu.vn that the green sea turtle is among the five endangered sea turtle species in need of strict conservation. She added that it was a long time since she had seen a green sea turtle returning to lay eggs on an island of Con Dao Archipelago.
The Con Dao National Park is the first in Vietnam to successfully carry out a sea turtle conservation program since 1994. In 2009, the park won a national record for releasing the most baby sea turtles to the sea. According to experts, this was also a Southeast Asian record. On average, the park rescues about 1,500 sea turtle egg nests, incubates successfully and releases some 150,000 baby sea turtles to the sea every year.
Con Dao is an ideal venue for sea turtles to lay eggs, with 16 uninhabited islands. Up to 80% of the archipelago’s total area belongs to the Con Dao National Park and is stringently protected. Six Senses Con Dao has actively participated in the park’s sea turtle conservation program.
Female motorbike taxi driver to the rescue
At 6 p.m. on December 14, a car suddenly turned upside down when traveling on Nguyen Tri Phuong Street in District 10, HCMC. Seeing the driver still being stuck in the car, many people rushed to the site to rescue him.
At that time, a female motorbike taxi driver working for a ride-hailing firm managed to approach the side where the car driver was stuck inside. With a brick in hand, she broke the car window shield for others to take the only victim out of the overturned car.
Fortunately, the rescued man was not severely injured. The video clip depicting the rescue taken by Ly Chi Vinh, 35, who works at a coffee shop near the accident site, went viral on social media. Many viewers expressed their admiration for the smart and timely action of the unknown female taxi driver.
Vinh told thanhnien.vn that he was very sorry he did not have time to ask for the names of the female rescuer and the car driver.
A builder of model ancient houses
Nguyen Van Dung, 40, who works at an architecture company in Nam Dinh City (Nam Dinh Province), has made many model old houses and model ancient quarters. Initially, he considered this as his hobby; later, this hobby helps him earn a hefty income.
Used to live in an ancient house, Dung has fallen in love with Indochinese architecture. However, not until 2019 did he begin to make model old houses and quarters during the long social distancing period because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Given his skill in making scale models, and available materials at home like plastics, electric wires, and formex sheets, he could start making the first products.
Depending on the complex details of the original construction works, it took Dung a few weeks to a few months to finish a model house or a model quarter. He told thanhnien.vn that the stage in which his model works are painted so that they have an old hue of time is the most important to win the heart of viewers or buyers.
Nguyen Thi Minh Nga, Dung’s wife, helps him by advertising his model works on social media, thus boosting the sales of such products and increasing income for their family.
A man saves three students from floodwaters
Bui Thanh Tai, a 39-year-old resident of Duy Trung Commune, Duy Xuyen District, Quang Nam Province, has been honored for his heroic rescue of three students swept away by floodwaters, reported the Tuoi Tre news site.
At around 5:20 p.m. on December 14, three 6th-grade students from Luong The Vinh Secondary School were heading home after class. They decided to wade through a flooded section of the rural road from the Tay An communal house to the Le Dinh family church. Due to heavy rain, the road was submerged, and as the students crossed the strong current, both they and their bikes were swept away over 100 meters.
Hearing their cries for help, Bui Thanh Tai, who was nearby, immediately rushed to the scene. Upon arrival, he saw the students struggling in the fast-moving water. Without hesitation, he jumped in, swam to them, and guided them safely to the shore. Authorities later arrived and escorted the students back home.
Tai’s quick thinking and courageous actions have earned him recognition from local authorities for his selflessness in saving the students’ lives.
