The devastating speedboat accident off Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island has left families grieving across India. But as people continue to process the tragedy, another story is making waves online – this time from a traveller who says she and her family were in the very same waters just hours before the fatal accident.Her Instagram post has quickly gone viral, not because it’s dramatic, but because it’s deeply unsettling. Reading it feels less like scrolling through social media and more like hearing someone replay a nightmare they narrowly escaped.
“We came back shaken”
The woman, Ridhi Chawla, said her family had spent the day island-hopping around Phu Quoc, visiting many of the same spots linked to the accident.Like hundreds of tourists do every day, they travelled by the Hon Thom Cable Car before boarding a speedboat to continue their island tour.At first, nothing seemed unusual. The skies were clear, there was no rain and the weather looked pleasant enough. But the sea, she said, told a different story.A certified scuba diver herself, Ridhi noticed the currents were much stronger than they appeared from the shore. Even then, she admitted she didn’t think they were dangerous enough to stop the trip altogether.It wasn’t until the return journey that things took a frightening turn.
“The boat was literally flying”
According to Ridhi, the ride back became increasingly rough as the speedboat slammed into powerful waves.She described passengers being jolted from their seats as the boat repeatedly bounced off the water before crashing back down again. Waves kept splashing inside, and every few minutes, the ride became more difficult to handle.Ironically, she said some people on board laughed through the chaos, treating it like an adventure because they had no idea another speedboat had already met with disaster nearby.She also claimed the tour operator never informed passengers about the tragedy.
Questions over safety
Alongside her account of the rough sea conditions, Ridhi also raised concerns about basic safety practices during the trip.She said her own family wore life jackets throughout the ride, but many other passengers didn’t. According to her, no one from the tour company checked whether everyone had put them on properly or asked those without jackets to wear one.She further claimed that even members of the crew, including the guide and the boat driver, weren’t wearing life jackets.Her post has reignited conversations online about whether safety rules are being followed consistently on tourist boat rides, especially during unpredictable sea conditions.
A claim about the cable car
One part of Ridhi’s post caught particular attention.She said her family had been told that the Hon Thom Cable Car could only be used for the onward journey, making a speedboat ride back seem like the only option.Later, after looking into it herself, she claimed the cable car also operates in the reverse direction. She suggested that some operators may prefer tourists to return by boat because it saves time, though this claim has not been independently verified.
Fifteen Indian tourists lost their lives
The accident took place on Saturday near Hon May Rut Ngoai, close to Phu Quoc Island.The speedboat was carrying 32 Indian tourists along with four Vietnamese crew members when it overturned in rough waters.Fifteen Indian tourists died in the accident, while 17 others were rescued.According to the Indian Embassy, most of the survivors have since been discharged from hospital and are travelling back to India. One person remains hospitalised in critical condition.
Social media responds with shock
Ridhi’s post quickly filled with comments from people who had visited the same islands or experienced similarly rough boat rides elsewhere.Some travellers said they had also encountered unexpectedly violent sea conditions around Phu Quoc and were grateful their journeys ended safely.Others shared stories from destinations such as Thailand’s Phi Phi Islands, recalling moments when their boats came dangerously close to capsizing.There was also debate over the role of life jackets. While many agreed they should always be worn, a few users pointed out that in certain situations—particularly if a boat flips completely upside down – escaping can become more complicated. Those comments sparked discussions about emergency preparedness and passenger awareness rather than simply relying on safety equipment alone.
“No holiday is worth risking your life”
Ending her post, Ridhi said she and her family returned home with immense gratitude but couldn’t stop thinking about those who never made it back.She urged travellers not to ignore life jackets, even if no one asks them to wear one, and appealed to tour operators to treat safety as a priority rather than a formality.Her message has resonated with thousands online, serving as a sobering reminder that what begins as a dream holiday can change in a matter of minutes.
