Three Ly Son fishermen "escaped" after 42 hours in the middle of Typhoon Kalmaegi, a spiritual appearance

Three fishermen from Ly Son (Quang Ngai) survived after 42 hours floating in the middle of the rough sea, eating raw fish, drinking rainwater. They returned in tears and the joy of their loved ones – like a miracle in the midst of a storm.

On the morning of November 9, when the first sunlight shone on Ly Son Island after Typhoon Kalmaegi , the air here was still full of emotions. In each story that people tell each other, it is the life and death journey of three fishermen — Phan Duy Quang (47 years old), Duong Quang Cuong (44 years old, also in Tay An Vinh village) and Le Van Sanh (37 years old, Tay An Hai village).

At the Military and Civilian Medical Center of Ly Son Special Zone, groups of people still visited and encouraged the three men who had just escaped from the scythe of death. They returned with tanned skin, deep eyes, with horror mixed with gratitude for life. The story of "miracle in the middle of Typhoon Kalmaegi" has now become the pride of the island.

Mr. Phan Duy Quang has not fully recovered after a 42-hour journey at sea. His voice was hoarse as he remembered the moment of life and death. "On the afternoon of November 6, hearing the news that Cuong jumped off the wharf and thought about it, Sanh and I hurriedly put on life jackets and pushed the basket to rescue. At that time, the storm was close to the shore, the waves were sky-high, the wind was whipping his face... But we just thought we had to save people first," he said, choking up.

From the shore, many people tied ropes to the basket in case of uncertainty. But when Cuong was swept away by the waves, the rope no longer worked. The two decided to untie the rope, risking their lives to row the basket in the middle of the rising sea.

After more than 20 minutes of struggle, they managed to pull Mr. Cuong into the basket. But Ly Son Island was submerged in white rain. The basket drifted until midnight when it was overturned by large waves. The three of them could only hug each other tightly in the middle of the black sea. "I remind everyone to try to live, think about their wives and children. But the waves were too big, Cuong and Sanh were both washed away. I was left alone," Mr. Quang was emotional.

In the middle of the cold sea, Mr. Quang picked up seaweed and small fish to hold his breath, catching every drop of rain from the sky to drink. On the second day, he saw many ships passing by, but no one noticed them. On the seventh, he swam all his strength to block the bow of the ship and was picked up. "When I heard the caller, I knew I was alive," he said with a chuckle.

The Hai Nam 39 ship rescued him at 8:45 a.m. on November 8, more than 100 kilometers from the island. Although cold and exhausted, the first sentence he uttered touched everyone: "Don't take me to shore, please find the other two friends."

Thanks to his account, the passenger ship An Vinh Express immediately turned around to search. At 16:15, they discovered Mr. Le Van Sanh drifting near the waters of Mo Duc. He was rescued in an exhausted state, his skin burned from soaking, but he was still conscious. "I live on half a spoiled apple and a small bottle of water, and I have the strength to think about my wife and children," he said, his voice trembling.

On the afternoon of November 8, a Quang Tri fishing boat continued to discover Mr. Duong Quang Cuong drifting about 12 km from the location where Mr. Sanh was rescued. Although he was exhausted, he remained conscious and was brought back to the island safely.

That evening, when the three were taken to Ben Dinh wharf, thousands of Ly Son people rushed to pick them up. Cheers, bright fireworks and even tears burst on the faces of relatives.

Typhoon Kalmaegi hits level 13 into the South China Sea, devastating intensity covers the Central region An Nhiên11:31:44 05/11/2025Typhoon Kalmaegi with a level 16 gust has entered the South China Sea, becoming Typhoon No. 13 in 2025. With a wide circulation and extremely strong intensity, the storm can reach level 14 when passing through the Spratly Islands and the waters of Da Nang - Khanh Hoa.