The victim, Can Hoang Minh, 19, was discovered on Lang Co Beach in Phu Quy Island District, roughly nine kilometres from where he was reported missing nine days earlier.
The victim was found dead on Lang Co Beach
On the afternoon of October 26, Minh and his five friends who were staying at a homestay in Long Hai Commune, Phu Quy Island District, took two paddleboards out to relax. About 200 metres offshore, they stopped to take photos but suddenly struggled with strong winds caused by the impact of Storm Trami. One of them called the homestay’s security team for help.
The homestay owner immediately sent a canoe to rescue the tourists, successfully saving three of them. However, the other three, on a single paddleboard, were pushed further out by the waves and lost from sight.
Later that evening, one of them, 26-year-old Ngo Xuan Hung managed to swim back to shore alone. Another, Nguyen Thi Kim Thi, 19, who clung to a buoy and drifted at sea for more than 12 hours, was rescued by a fisherman.
Local authorities deployed a rescue team of 60 people to search for Minh, and his body was found stuck in the rocks of a sea embankment at Lang Co Beach on Sunday.
Phu Quy Island, around 56 nautical miles from Phan Thiet City, attracts visitors due to its pristine sea.
Paddleboarding is banned in the area where the incident happened.