As floodwaters rose swiftly through Khanh Hoa province, murky and violent, dozens of civilians grabbed whatever they could - basket boats, SUP boards, ropes - and set out into the torrents to rescue those trapped in the deluge.

Among them was 37-year-old Phung Ngoc Dong, who had already spent days rescuing residents stranded by the record-breaking flood. On the night of November 19, as heavy rain pounded the region and phone signals flickered, his phone rang nonstop with urgent messages: water levels were surging, neighborhoods were underwater, people were trapped and desperate.

One call stood out - it was from a friend named Trang, warning that western Nha Trang was flooding fast. She pleaded for help mobilizing boats and people, even though her own home was safe. Dong, a fisherman by trade, didn’t hesitate.

By midnight, Dong and his neighbors in Hon Ro 1 had mobilized nearly 100 people, dozens of large and small canoes, and 40 basket boats. “We prioritized basket boats and small canoes because they’re easier to steer through narrow alleys,” he explained.

The next morning, the rescue teams fanned out into flooded zones. Each boat carried two people and emergency supplies - instant noodles, water, and bread. Though Dong had a fractured foot, he removed his bandage, climbed into a basket boat, and rowed directly into the heart of the flood.

After 30 minutes navigating dark, swirling waters, he spotted a family of four - two parents, an elderly woman, and a six-month-old baby - huddled on a loft in Luong Dinh Cua alley. He broke through the door, put life jackets on the mother, baby, and elder, and ferried them to safety, reassuring the father he’d return soon.

At one point, the currents thrashed so violently that the boat nearly capsized. They navigated around electric poles and trees while others tied ropes from the shore to help stabilize the boat.

“We were soaked, shivering, and exhausted,” Dong said. “But every time we brought someone out, the fatigue disappeared.”

The deeper they went into submerged neighborhoods, the more people they found. Sometimes the boats were too full to carry more passengers. They left food and promised to come back.

By noon, water levels in some areas of western Nha Trang had reached nearly 2 meters. In one case, Dong’s team rescued a pregnant woman who had collapsed from exhaustion. In another, they helped 100 children trapped in a church.

In just three days, the people of Hon Ro 1 rescued more people than they could count. Of the 40 basket boats deployed, two were lost to the current, and two more went missing.

Not far from Dong, 42-year-old Tran Thi Loi and her husband Vo Van Hoan were also on the front lines. While he rowed boats into flooded areas, she stayed behind, coordinating supplies and meeting rescued survivors at the Ngoc Hoi intersection. Her team distributed food and guided children and the elderly to safety.

“I couldn’t sit still knowing people were trapped,” she said.

Together, they saved a seven-month pregnant woman near Ga Market and ferried nearly 100 children to dry land.

By nightfall, the couple would meet at home, exhausted but determined, grabbing just moments of sleep before setting out again.

“Even if it kills me, I have to go in”

For Hoang Van Dung, 33, the memories of that night are etched into his soul. Living in western Nha Trang, he watched as his home flooded nearly two meters deep. His wife and children evacuated. He stayed behind to guard their business near Tran Phu beach.

Around 10:30 p.m. on November 19, with rain pouring and connections lost, Dung tried calling relatives but received only silence. On social media, pleas for help flooded in - photos, addresses, phone numbers of people stranded in rising waters.

By dawn, he was on a SUP board in a narrow alley near Cau Be. There, he found a mother and her baby clinging to each other in the dark. He gave them milk and snacks, then loaded them onto his board.

About 300 meters into their journey, the water surged. The SUP wobbled. The mother panicked. The child screamed. “I just kept saying: ‘We’re almost there. You’re safe now,’” Dung recalled.

Though experienced with sea and river navigation, the urban floodwaters were unpredictable and chaotic. At one point, a whirlpool flipped the board. Dung fell in. Cold, hungry, and terrified, he managed to grab a wooden beam and climb back up.

“Some things I’ll forget,” he said. “But the sound of people crying for help, those hands reaching out from the flood - I’ll carry that forever.”

When asked if he feared for his life, Dung admitted he did. “But I had to go. People were waiting.”

Alongside Dong, Loi, and Dung, hundreds of Khanh Hoa residents took part in volunteer rescue efforts. More than 15,000 military and police officers were also deployed to evacuate residents, deliver aid, and restore order in severely affected areas.

Xuan Ngoc