After losing bets on football matches, two men jumped into the Sai Gon River to fly escape their creditors for good.

Binh Loi bridge, where two men committed suicide.

At 5.30 a.m. on June 20, many people were practicing their morning exercises on the banks of the Saigon River, near the Binh Loi Bridge in Binh Thanh district as they usually do. They were startled, then, when they heard an urgent call for help from a man nearby.

Following the call, they saw a man who was hanging himself on a marking buoy. Nguyen Van Chuc, 53, a guard at Binh Loi Bridge, jumped down to the river to rescue the man, who had already fainted.

After gaining consciousness, the victim said his name was Tan, age 30, from Thu Duc district, HCM City. He jumped from the bridge because he lost a football bet. Chuc called Tan’s family to take him home.

On June 15, a 40-year-old man also jumped from Binh Loi Bridge to the Saigon River, attempting to commit suicide for the same reason. This man was saved by Chuc’s younger brother, Nguyen Van Tuan, 47.

Ha Anh