Everyone in the hamlet at the foot of Ben Thuy 2 Bridge in Xuan An Town in Nghi Xuan district in Ha Tinh knows Nguyen Thi Nguyet, 60, the woman with a special fate.

Nguyet was born in a family with 12 siblings. Her mother died when she was 17 years old. Since then, she has had to catch fish and work hard with the father to make a living and take care of her younger brothers and sisters, especially the youngest brother who was born deaf.

When she was 20 years old, she volunteered to join the army. Five years later, she left the army, returned to her hometown and got married. But the marriage did not last. Her husband disappeared and there has been no news about him. She had to raise the children alone.

They faced a lot of difficulties, but they weathered the storm. Nguyet and her sisters and brothers protected and helped one another in times of distress. They are happy, and their lives are getting better.

“My son got married and I have three grandchildren. I am so happy. Every day, my family members go fishing to earn our living on the river. My life is associated with the Lam river,” she said.

Living on the river since her childhood, she is able to swim well. 

Nguyet cannot count how many dead bodies she has removed from the river. The first time was 40 years ago.

“When I was casting the net on the river, I saw a boat capsizing. People panicked, but no one could help. I then jumped into the river, but I also could not save him, because the boat was too far from me. The dead body was found later,” she recalled, adding that since then, removing dead bodies has become part of her life.

Nguyet said the dead are children, women, or couples who committed suicide. Sometimes Nguyet finds dead bodies that are not intact and their relatives can recognize them only by their clothes left on the body. The relatives of five people who died were never found, so Nguyet buried them herself.

About 10 persons have been rescued by Nguyet. Some of them forgot Nguyet soon after they were rescued, while others have never forgotten her. 

“There is a boy in Vinh City who unfortunately fell into the river and he was rescued. He and his family members come to see me every Tet holiday,” Nguyet said.

Viet Hoa