VietNamNet Bridge – About four weeks ago, seven seventh graders from Nguyen Du Secondary School in Cam Ranh City were taking photos when one of the female students fell into a reservoir. The others extended their hands to help, but they fell as well.

Hearing their screams, two boys, Bo Ty and Cao Lam, who were near the Ta Ruc reservoir in Khanh Hoa Province, immediately ran to the site and rescued five of the seven girls.

Weeks later, Ty says he is still disconsolate about his inability to save the other two girls.

After his parents died, Ty moved in with his sister’s family, who are poor.

Lam, 14, dropped out of the seventh grade because of his family’s poverty. To earn an income, he tends cows for neighbours, as does Ty.

Lam’s mother, Cao Thị Vin, found out about her son’s bravery by chance. Since she has no TV, she heard about it through a local vendor.

At first, she didn’t believe the news, but when Le Xuan Than, deputy chairman of the province’s People’s Council, visited her house and presented gifts, Vin learned that her son had been recognised for his courage in local media reports.

The south-central province recently received approval from the Central Committee of Viet Nam’s Ho Chi Minh Youth Union to present the national Brave Youth Badge to the two Raglai ethnic minority boys for saving the life of the five school girls.

Than has told government agencies and local authorities to create conditions for the two boys to help them attend school and have a more stable life.

VNS