The efforts to overcome adversity of the captain who lost both legs while catching sand bandits

Losing both legs while fighting sand bandits on the Hau River, Captain Tran Hoang Ngoi ( Vinh Long Provincial Police) was not discouraged and tried to adapt to his new life.

Near Tet, Captain Ngoi, 32 years old, an officer of the Economic and Drug Crime Investigation Police Department, Tra On District Police, lay on a hospital bed at the Rehabilitation Hospital - Occupational Disease Treatment in District 8 (HCMC) while a technician wrapped bandages to shape the stump, a leg longer than a hand span, after surgery. He was also instructed on physical therapy exercises to strengthen his lower body, to be able to bear the weight of his body to wear a prosthetic leg later.

Captain Ngoi lies on a hospital bed while a technician wraps bandages around his stump to shape it. Photo: Dinh Van — Captain Ngoi lies on a hospital bed while a technician wraps bandages around his stump to shape it. Photo: *Dinh Van*

The incident happened to the Tra On District Police officers nearly three months ago. On the night of November 23, 2023, Captain Ngoi and three teammates were patrolling a boat along the Hau River and discovered a wooden boat about ten meters long illegally dredging sand from the riverbed more than 20 meters deep. Members of the working group shone lights and fired warning shots into the air, forcing the vehicle to stop for inspection.

When Captain Ngoi stepped out of the boat, the boat suddenly started its engine and collided with the working group's vehicle. He fell into the water, holding tightly to the stern of the boat by inertia. At that moment, the propeller under the boat created a whirlpool that swept his legs. "In an instant, I felt pain in my lower legs, then all feeling in my body disappeared," he said.

Captain Ngoi received first aid from his teammates and was transferred to Can Tho City Hospital for surgery. When he woke up, he was shocked to see that his lower body only had "a thigh bone sticking out". After the mental shock, he had to endure physical pain when both legs were amputated. There were nights when he could not sleep because of his injuries, thinking about the rest of his life as a disabled person.

However, the feeling of despair and pain was overcome after a few days. The 31-year-old soldier accepted the loss of his body. "The lost legs cannot grow back, instead of being sad and sentimental, I chose to think positively to overcome it," said Ngoi. After half a month in the hospital, he was sent home to recuperate. Because he was not married while his parents were old, his relatives and comrades took turns taking care of him.

Mr. Ngoi practices balancing on his stump to make it easier to attach his prosthetic leg later. Photo: Dinh Van — Mr. Ngoi practices balancing on his stump to make it easier to attach his prosthetic leg later. Photo: *Dinh Van*

At the end of December 2023, Captain Ngoi was transferred to the Ho Chi Minh City Rehabilitation and Occupational Disease Treatment Hospital for training. Although the wound seemed to have healed, he had to endure Phantom pain syndrome (nerve pain when the body is amputated). He still felt pain in the body part that no longer existed due to the influence of the nervous system in the brain. The pain ranged from mild to severe, the intermittent throbbing sensation affected his psychology and caused insomnia.

To overcome this, in addition to taking painkillers, Ngoi practices positive thinking. When meeting strangers or acquaintances, he takes the initiative to chat and joke. When his teammates come to visit, he even "bets" about his weight when he lost his leg over coffee, creating a comfortable atmosphere even though he has lost nearly 1/3 of his body weight. After practice, Captain Ngoi watches videos of people in similar situations to learn how to adapt.

Dr. Phan Minh Tuan, Deputy Head of the Rehabilitation Department of the hospital, said that the treatment process went smoothly because the patient was mentally prepared to accept his physical disability early. An optimistic spirit also helped Mr. Ngoi's recovery process very quickly, and his lower body exercises were favorable. Phantom limb syndrome also affected him less than normal people.

The technician helps Mr. Ngoi keep his balance on the motorbike and practice juggling the ball to strengthen his arms and help him bear the weight of his lower body. Photo: Dinh Van — The technician helps Mr. Ngoi keep his balance on the motorbike and practice juggling the ball to strengthen his arms and help him bear the weight of his lower body. Photo: *Dinh Van*

After Tet, the patient is expected to practice for two more months before being fitted with a prosthetic leg. The cost of this device is about 600 million VND, and the hospital is actively soliciting donations. According to Dr. Tuan, if he uses a good quality prosthetic leg, Mr. Ngoi can walk again.

When his health recovers, Captain Ngoi hopes to be assigned to a logistics or administrative job so that he can live a useful life. "Many disabled people can overcome their fate, so I must be able to do the same," he said.

Regarding the above incident, on January 24, Tra On District Police advised the People's Committee of the same level to impose an administrative fine of VND50 million on two boat drivers illegally dredging sand on the river. The police are verifying and examining the signs of crime against law enforcement officers committed by these people.