A moving video shared across Vietnamese social media on October 10 captured a father in his late 60s swimming through floodwaters for hours to deliver food to his daughter stranded in Thai Nguyen province, bringing many to tears.

The story begins in Viet Tri City, Phu Tho province, where 68-year-old Hien grew anxious after losing contact with his daughter, Phuong Anh, who was affected by flooding in Thai Nguyen.

Power and mobile signal disruptions caused by heavy rain had left the family disconnected.

Determined to check on his daughter, Hien boarded a passenger bus to Thai Nguyen, bringing along a foam box packed with food essentials.

He then swam through the floodwaters to reach her neighborhood on Cach Mang Thang Tam Street in Phan Dinh Phung ward.

anh dai dien.jpg
Hien swam through floodwaters to deliver food to his daughter. Photo: Screenshot from video

According to eyewitness Tran Dat Long, who shared the now-viral video, Hien was nearly swept away by strong currents before he was rescued by two passersby and taken safely to shore.

The video shows Hien, soaked to the skin, clutching the foam box as he told his grandchildren, “Take the food, I have to go now,” prompting an outpouring of emotional reactions online.

Many users expressed deep admiration: “If I were his daughter, I would cry my eyes out,” one wrote. Another said, “This video hit me like someone was chopping onions in front of me.”

Some quoted the Vietnamese proverb, “A father's love is as immense as Mount Thai Son,” saying no love could compare to that of a parent.

The daughter in the video was identified as Phuong Anh, born in 1984 and residing in Phan Dinh Phung ward, Thai Nguyen.

Her house had been submerged since October 6 following continuous torrential rains, forcing the family to live on the second floor.

Though she had managed to inform her parents of the flooding on the morning of October 7, subsequent outages cut off all further communication.

anh 3.jpg
Severe flooding in the area where Phuong Anh lives. Photo: Courtesy of NVCC

anh 2.jpg
Mr. Hien is a devoted father and grandfather. Photo: NVCC

Around 1 p.m. on October 8, after nearly a day of isolation, Phuong Anh suddenly heard her father’s voice calling from outside, “Phuong Anh! Come down and get your food!”

She rushed to the hallway and was stunned to see him on a canoe, clutching a foam box tied with a large plastic container acting as a floatation device.

“He brought instant noodles, dried food, and bottled water. When he told me to hurry so he could go home, I was overwhelmed,” she recounted.

After delivering the supplies, Hien promptly returned to the main road and boarded a bus back to Phu Tho, arriving home safely by 5:30 p.m. that day.

It wasn’t until the evening that Phuong Anh was able to reconnect with her family.

“My father didn’t say a word about what he had gone through. I had no idea he swam for hours in those floodwaters, but I know it must have been extremely difficult,” she said.

Phuong Anh learned from her mother that Hien had grown increasingly restless after failing to reach his daughter.

Early on October 8, he made the decision to travel to Thai Nguyen, both to bring food and to see for himself that she was safe.

“I have no idea what route he took to get through the flooded area. The current was so strong that he became exhausted while swimming. Luckily, two men passing by on a canoe picked him up,” she added.

Now relieved that her father is safe, Phuong Anh says she feels both gratitude and heartbreak.

“If I had known he intended to swim all the way here, I would have stopped him no matter what. I’d rather go hungry than see him suffer like that,” she said.

Hien has three grown children and is described by his daughter as a kind, hardworking man who has always cared deeply for his family.

Thanh Minh