Around 9:40 a.m. on 12 September, Lieutenant Colonel Trần Văn Tùng, 39, commander of the 3rd company of the 568th Infantry Regiment under the Hưng Yên Provincial Military Command, was riding his motorbike back to base when he reached the midpoint of Bo bridge over the Trà Lý River.
There he saw a 30‑year‑old resident of Đông Hưng commune, identified as Đ.V.L, struggling with his mother, who reported that the young man intended to jump from the bridge.
Trần Văn Tùng, together with a passer‑by, approached the pair, persuaded the youth to abandon the suicide attempt, and arranged to escort him home.
While Trần Văn Tùng went to retrieve his motorbike, the man suddenly threw himself into the river.
Reacting instantly, Trần Văn Tùng stripped off his uniform and equipment and dived after him.
He managed to reach the victim, but the swift current dragged both downstream, and they vanished from sight.
The Hưng Yên Provincial Military Command, the 568th Infantry Regiment and local authorities promptly secured the scene and launched a coordinated search.
The water rescue unit Đội Cứu hộ đường thủy 116 was deployed with boats and personnel to locate the missing lieutenant colonel and the young man.
As of the latest report, the search operation continues, with authorities urging anyone with information to come forward.