A young family of three from Thanh Hoa narrowly escaped the tragic capsizing of the Vinh Xanh 58 tourist boat on Ha Long Bay on July 19 - simply because they overslept and missed their scheduled departure at 1 p.m.

The incident, which claimed numerous lives, left many devastated. But for one family, a chance twist of fate turned out to be a lifesaving moment. Ngan, the mother, recounted the harrowing near-miss with deep emotion in an interview with VietNamNet.

That morning, after a tiring sightseeing tour, the couple’s young child fell into a deep sleep. Wanting to let the child rest, Ngan and her husband also decided to nap briefly. That brief rest ended up saving their lives.

“The owner of Vinh Xanh 58 tried calling us a few times, but we didn’t hear the phone because we were all asleep. We had no idea that not answering those calls would end up saving us,” Ngan said.

She recalled that the day before, the couple had gone to the harbor to ask about booking tickets. Wanting a stress-free experience for their child, they had opted for the earliest cruise the next day so they could return by the afternoon.

“The ticket seller told us no deposit was required. We could just come to the dock, collect the tickets, and pay on the spot. They said to call once we arrived,” Ngan recounted.

On July 19, Vinh Xanh 58 was scheduled to depart at 1 p.m. Around 12:50 p.m., the boat operator called the couple. Her husband missed the first call, and the family, still resting from their earlier excursion, didn’t respond immediately. Their child was sound asleep, and they assumed - like many tourists - that “things usually run late anyway,” and let the child rest 10 more minutes.

“We arrived at the harbor around 1:15 p.m., only to be told the boat had already left,” Ngan said. They considered switching to the 2:15 p.m. departure, but as the weather began turning gloomy, the couple hesitated - especially with a small child in tow.

“While we were deciding, a janitor near the boarding gate quietly said, ‘Don’t go. It’s scary with a little kid.’ I don’t know why, but hearing that gave me chills,” she recalled. “So we decided to cancel our spot right then.”

That afternoon, the family took their child for a bowl of porridge and left their phones unattended. It wasn’t until Ngan’s husband received a call from his workplace that they learned the heartbreaking news: the Vinh Xanh 58 - the very boat they had booked - had capsized. Many passengers were missing or confirmed dead.

“I was frozen. All I could think was, if we had woken up just 15 minutes earlier, what would’ve happened? It’s hard to comprehend. My heart breaks for everyone on that boat,” Ngan said through tears.

Y Nhuy