HA LONG BAY, Vietnam (July 21, 2025) – A 10-year-old boy miraculously survived the sinking of a tourist boat in Vietnam's famed Ha Long Bay by sheltering in an air pocket, as the death toll from the weekend tragedy rose to 36, with three people still missing.
The Wonder Sea sightseeing vessel capsized suddenly during a fierce squall near Dau Go Cave on Saturday afternoon. Trapped inside the overturned hull, the young boy found a pocket of air underwater and clung to life until rescue divers found him. Though physically unharmed, he is reported to be suffering from mental distress and was hospitalized.
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"Everything happened so fast," the boy told local media. "I tried to get out, and then the soldiers rescued me."
Another survivor, Dang Anh Tuan (36), described a harrowing escape. "It rained for about 15 minutes, and then the boat started to shake vigorously... seconds later the boat overturned," Tuan told the Associated Press. Losing orientation as the boat filled, he discarded his life jacket, dove down, spotted light through an underwater window, and swam to freedom. He and several others clung to the overturned hull for two hours in pouring rain before rescue.
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State media reported 53 passengers and crew were aboard. Ten people, including the boy and Tuan, were rescued. Sadly, 36 bodies have been recovered, including that of a six-year-old boy found near an island on Monday. Rescue efforts for the three missing continue but are hampered by bad weather.
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Most passengers were families from Hanoi; over 20 children were on board. Tuan was holidaying with 11 university friends; only three from his group survived. Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site popular with tourists, was the scene of the disaster involving one of its many limestone islands.
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