A lifebuoy is placed at Long Bien Bridge
The programme was carried out by the Kham Pha (Discovery) Swimming Club which plans to place 400 lifebuoys at bridges crossing the Red River in 10 northern provinces.
Head of the club, Nguyen Ngoc Khanh said that they started the programme on May 6 and was intended to help save drowning people.
"There have been many drownings in the Red River," Khanh said. "Some of them fell into the river in accidents, while some others committed suicide by jumping off the bridges. We believe that the lifebuoys could help save people."
Khanh said that they have so far installed over 100 lifebuoys in the provinces of Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Tuyen Quang, and Hanoi. In Hanoi, they placed 33 lifebuoys at Thang Long, Nhat Tan, Long Bien, Chuong Duong, Vinh Tuy, and Thanh Tri bridges.
“All the lifebuoys were neatly tied to the bridge handrails in a way that they can be easily accessed for rescue work," he said.
Commenting on the project, Luu Thanh Binh from the Hanoi Railway Corporation said that these lifebuoys could help save more people from drowning in the river.
"I've been doing maintenance at Long Bien Bridge for over a decade and seen dozens of suicides here every year," he said. "I believe that all those who accidentally fall or have tried to commit suicide now have a second chance thanks to the lifebuoys."
Besides providing the lifebuoys, the Kham Pha (Discovery) Swimming Club has also provided free swimming courses with over 40 voluntary trainers in the four provinces. So far more than 700 people, mostly students, have benefited from the programme.
