Nguyễn Thanh Tùng, a 30-year-old man from Lâm Đồng Province’s Đơn Dương District, was awarded a certificate of merit and VNĐ5 million (US$220) for rescuing two school girls from drowning on Thursday.

The parents of two schoolgirls visit Nguyễn Thanh Tùng, 30, who saved the girls from drowning after they fell off a bridge without a handrail.

On October 17, the two sisters, 12th grader Lưu Nguyễn Trâm Nhi and 10th grader Lưu Nguyễn Trâm Anh, were riding on a motorbike on the Ông Thiều Bridge on their way back from school when their bike fell into the Đa Nhim River after the bridge began to shake.

Hearing their cries for help, Nguyễn Thanh Tùng jumped into the river to save them despite the strong currents.

Tùng was later visited by the chairman of the district’s People’s Committee, who awarded him a certificate of merit for his bravery. He was also visited by the girls’ families.

Ông Thiều Bridge is in poor condition, with a slippery surface and no handrail.

On October 7, a mother and her two children fell into the river when they were crossing the same bridge. One child died. – VNS