HCMC – A 43-year-old tourist from the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho died late Saturday, May 14, after he fell overboard in the Halong Bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh, authorities confirmed.
The victim was identified as Nguyen Ngoc Phat, a resident in Ninh Kieu District of Can Tho, reported Tuoi Tre newspaper.
He fell from a tourist vessel when it was about to dock at the Halong international cruise port. The tourist vessel, named Long Giang, has a designed capacity of 48 passengers.
Earlier, at 17:00 on May 14, the ship was carrying 15 tourists of a Halong Bay sightseeing tour from Sung Sot Cave to the port. When the ship was nearing the port, through the surveillance camera system, captain Tran Duy Cuong, aged 39, discovered a tourist, who was standing at the ship prow area, had fallen overboard.
Immediately, people onboard threw lifesaving jackets to save the tourist. However, as the tide was out at the time, the tourist failed to take any jacket and went mising then.
Rescue operations were conducted for the missing. By 21:00 the same day, his body was found and was taken to a local hospital for further investigation.
Authorities also suspended the operation of the Long Giang vessel to serve the investigation.
