On the morning of September 19, Pham Huu Quang and his younger sister walked along the Tra Giang Bridge in Hung Yen, attaching life jackets to the bridge railings. They have continued the work over recent days.
The initiative was inspired by the death of army officer Tran Van Tung, 39, who died after jumping into the Tra Ly River in Hung Yen to rescue a young man who had jumped from a bridge. The incident prompted widespread sympathy in the community.
Quang, born in 1996 and living in Kien Xuong Commune, Hung Yen Province, said he had been thinking about what he could do to prevent similar tragedies.
He came up with the idea of buying life jackets and placing them on bridges across the province so that anyone who found themselves in danger in the water could have access to basic safety equipment.
Quang spent his own money on 200 life jackets and began the project with his younger sister. The jackets are placed in clearly visible and easily accessible locations so that people can take them when needed.
The pair began installing the life jackets on September 17. Before doing so, they contacted local authorities to seek approval and agree on suitable locations.
So far, they have placed life jackets on Tan De Bridge, Bo Bridge and Thai Binh Bridge. Tan De Bridge has 22 jackets arranged along both sides, starting near the riverbanks, while Bo Bridge has 16 and Thai Binh Bridge has 12.
Quang had the message “Life jackets save lives, please do not steal” printed on the back of each one.
He said he had been reluctant to include such a warning, but was concerned because life jackets previously placed on bridges by others had reportedly been stolen.
Quang has paid all the costs of buying the 200 life jackets and printing the messages himself. He has not appealed for donations through his personal social media accounts.
Nevertheless, he was surprised by the attention his small initiative received. He said he had received numerous messages of encouragement, including information from people about bridges where life jackets were needed because accidents had occurred there in the past.
On the morning of September 19, Quang and his sister continued installing life jackets at a bridge in Tra Giang Commune. They expect the project to take about a week.
If the initial 200 life jackets prove insufficient, Quang said he would buy more to complete the work.
Vu Duc Huy, secretary of the Tra Giang Commune Party Committee and chairman of its People's Council, confirmed the initiative and said local authorities welcomed the effort, describing it as a practical contribution to the community.
Quang said he had not set a specific target for the number of bridges involved. Instead, he plans to gradually install life jackets at locations where they are genuinely needed.
He acknowledged that 200 life jackets could not prevent every accident or replace proper waterway safety measures. But, he said, each life jacket placed on a bridge could give someone an additional chance of receiving help when faced with a life-threatening situation.