Trieu Chan Ta, a resident of Viet Tan hamlet in Bac Quang Commune, Tuyen Quang Province, disappeared on May 8 after entering a protected forest area to gather medicinal herbs and collect firewood.

When he failed to return home that evening, family members repeatedly tried calling his phone but could not reach him before reporting the case to local authorities.

The disappearance triggered a large-scale rescue operation involving nearly 300 people, including police officers, military personnel, local militia forces, commune officials and residents familiar with the mountainous terrain.

Search teams spent days trekking through forests, crossing streams and combing steep ravines in difficult weather conditions.

Commune police and nearly 300 rescuers find missing man after days lost in forest

According to local authorities, the search area covered protected forest land in Sub-zone 285, bordering Viet Tan 2 and Thuong My hamlets, where the terrain is marked by deep valleys, rocky mountains and narrow trails with unstable mobile phone signals.

Colonel Hoang Van Chuyen, chief of Bac Quang Commune Police, said the operation faced major obstacles due to the dangerous terrain and continuous rain.

“This is a protected forest area with extremely complex topography, steep slopes and many narrow trails. Some locations have weak or no phone signal at all,” Chuyen said during the search effort.

Rescue teams divided into multiple groups and followed possible routes commonly used by people gathering medicinal plants in the forest.

At one point, misinformation spread on social media claiming another person had gone missing while participating in the rescue operation.

However, Bac Quang authorities later confirmed that all rescue personnel remained safe and no one had lost contact during the mission.

On May 11, investigators received new leads from local residents and reviewed security camera footage from nearby areas.

The footage suggested Ta may have descended from the mountain and moved toward another area several kilometers away from the original search zone.

Authorities subsequently expanded the search radius to neighboring hamlets, including Thanh Binh and Tan Binh.

After more than three days of searching, rescuers finally located Ta on the afternoon of May 11 in a forested area around 4 kilometers from his home.

When found, he was severely exhausted, hungry and mentally disoriented after days without contact with the outside world.

“He was still panicked, very weak and hungry,” Colonel Chuyen said after the rescue.

“We are coordinating efforts to bring him home for medical care and psychological stabilization.”

On May 11, investigators received new leads from local residents and reviewed security camera footage from nearby areas.

The footage suggested Ta may have descended from the mountain and moved toward another area several kilometers away from the original search zone.

Authorities subsequently expanded the search radius to neighboring hamlets, including Thanh Binh and Tan Binh.

After more than three days of searching, rescuers finally located Ta on the afternoon of May 11 in a forested area around 4 kilometers from his home.

When found, he was severely exhausted, hungry and mentally disoriented after days without contact with the outside world.

“He was still panicked, very weak and hungry,” Colonel Chuyen said after the rescue.

“We are coordinating efforts to bring him home for medical care and psychological stabilization.”

Rescue teams trek through mountainous forest terrain during the search operation.

According to Ly Tien Luan, head of Viet Tan hamlet, Ta and his wife live a quiet life in a small hut on a hill and mainly rely on farming and forestry work to earn a living.

Although their economic situation remains difficult, Luan said the couple are known locally as kind and active participants in community activities.

Doctors and family members said Ta’s health has gradually stabilized since returning home, though he still requires monitoring and rest following the ordeal.

Vu Mung – Tran Nghi – Duc Hoang