Woman Survives 8 Hours Adrift at Sea in Vietnam Thanks to Makeshift Raft

A remarkable survival story has emerged from Vietnam, where a 24-year-old woman spent nearly eight hours adrift at sea before being miraculously rescued, aided by a simple, self-made flotation device fashioned from two plastic bottles. The woman, identified as T.T.P. from Da Nang city, was among a group of friends taking photos near the Son Tra peninsula when disaster struck.

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When we fell, the three of us could still see each other and clung to each other. Everyone was panicked. People on the shore told us to stay calm and relax, because if we struggled, we would quickly get exhausted.

The incident occurred on August 8, when a group of six people ventured to Mui Nghe for photography. While navigating rocky terrain, a massive wave swept three women, including T.T.P., into the sea. A male companion, N.T., bravely jumped in to attempt a rescue but was also caught by the waves. He was later rescued by a fishing vessel around 8 hours later, while T.T.P. was found and rescued by a naval ship approximately 14 hours after the initial incident.

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At this point, I could no longer see the other two friends, and the shouts from the shore grew fainter until I could hear nothing.

Recounting her ordeal, T.T.P. described how the powerful wave separated her from her friends. Despite initial attempts to stay together, the relentless sea currents pulled her further from shore and her companions. Unable to swim, she relied on basic survival knowledge, floating on her back to keep her head above water. As exhaustion set in and she began to lose hope, a floating object struck her head, reviving her senses.

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At this moment, I thought I was going to sink. With nothing to hold onto in the vast sea, how could I survive?

She discovered it was a makeshift raft constructed from two plastic bottles. This simple device became her lifeline, allowing her to keep her head above water and conserve energy. The makeshift raft enabled her to survive for an additional six hours until a naval vessel spotted her and provided assistance. Search and rescue operations continued overnight for the two other women who remain missing.

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Seeing the two plastic bottles, I used them to support my neck so my head could stay above water. With a support point, I felt less tired and could vomit the water from inside me.