A 19-year-old student from Vietnam survived two days alone in a mountainous region after getting separated from his group during a trek. All he had were packaged snacks and stream water. The incident took place at Tam Dao mountain, a popular but challenging hiking destination about 70 km from Hanoi.
Nguyen Tuan Anh, a student of Dai Nam University, joined a group of 10 people for the trek on April 19. Accompanied by a guide, the group completed a seven-hour climb and reached the summit in the afternoon before beginning their descent, according to a report by VnExpress. During the return journey, Anh, who had limited trekking experience, had immense fatigue due to the heat. He decided to pause and rest, losing contact with the group and unable to locate the correct trail.
Believing there was only one route down, he continued walking but soon realised he was lost. What added to the terrifying situation was that his phone lost network connectivity and it left him without a way to call for help.
Notably, the terrain of Tam Dao is known for dense forests, steep paths, and rapidly shifting weather conditions. As evening approached, visibility worsened due to thick fog which made navigation even more difficult. Anh eventually stopped for the night. He took shelter in a rocky crack near a stream.
With limited supplies, he rationed the only food he had which included packets of Orion Choco Pie. He relied on water from the nearby stream to stay hydrated. Meanwhile, his companions reported him missing to local authorities around 6 pm the same day after he failed to return, reported South China Morning Post. This prompted a large-scale search operation involving police personnel, soldiers and rescue teams who combed the area for nearly two days.
Anh was finally located at approximately 7:15 am on April 21 after rescuers called out his name and received a response. He was found exhausted but conscious and in stable condition. Reports noted that he still had a few packets of the snack in his bag at the time of rescue.
Images released after the operation showed emotional scenes as his family, including his mother, reacted with relief upon his safe return.