A 26-year-old Vietnamese man in HCM City has been officially commended by city authorities for rescuing a four-year-old girl from drowning at a villa swimming pool in Vung Tau Ward last week.
Cao Thanh Dat, a logistics employee at Viettel Post, received a certificate of merit on Monday (August 4) from the chairman of the municipal People’s Committee for his timely and courageous response, which authorities said reflected “positive civic values and responsibility”.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of last Thursday (July 31), when Dat was visiting a villa in Vung Tau with a friend who captured the moment he performed CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) while they were filming promotional content for social media.
While filming in the front yard, Dat noticed two young girls wearing life vests and playing in the swimming pool. The children were under the care of their mother, a housekeeper at the villa, who was cleaning nearby and had left the girls unsupervised.
Around 5pm, the mother called the children out of the pool. The older girl climbed out first, but the younger child was suddenly missing. The mother panicked and jumped into the pool to search.
Hearing her cries for help, Dat rushed to assist. He found the woman holding her unconscious daughter, who had turned blue and was not breathing.
Though untrained, Dat remained calm and immediately began performing CPR, a lifesaving emergency procedure he had learned in school. Within 30 to 40 seconds of chest compressions, the child began breathing, vomited water, and regained consciousness.
The child was taken to Vung Tau Hospital, where she was monitored overnight and discharged the next day in stable condition. Doctors confirmed that "timely resuscitation likely saved the girl’s life".
Speaking at the commendation ceremony, city officials praised Đạt for his composure and decisive action, calling his intervention an inspiring example of community responsibility./.
The case has also prompted renewed public awareness about child safety and supervision around water, especially during summer months./.
