British expat Barry Mattacott, 63, was traveling by motorcycle from Quy Nhon to Da Nang when Google Maps led him onto a mountainous road, where he got lost and suffered a flat tire before police came to his aid.
Mattacott, who works as a marketing specialist in Vietnam, was riding a Kawasaki W650 around noon on Oct. 3 when, following directions from Google Maps, he turned onto a dirt road through the mountains and forest in Dang Thuy Tram Commune, Quang Ngai Province.
The road became increasingly difficult, with steep sections, rough rocks and mud. In some places, the motorcycle sank halfway into the mud. Eventually, the bike suffered a flat tire on a rocky slope.
Mattacott spent more than three hours walking while pushing his motorcycle in search of a way out. At around 2:30 p.m., local residents found him in the Kon Doc area and alerted commune police.
Lieutenant Colonel Phan Tien Dung, head of Dang Thuy Tram Commune Police, and Captain Pham Trung Tien then drove a specialized vehicle to assist him. The two officers loaded Mattacott and his motorcycle onto their vehicle and drove them nearly 20 km to the nearest residential area, where he could find a repair shop.
After the tire was repaired, the officers continued to escort Mattacott to a main road so he could resume his journey.
In a handwritten letter in English acquired by VnExpress, Mattacott thanked the local residents and police for helping him.
He said he got lost while riding from Quy Nhon to Da Nang and found himself “on very rough road on the mountain.” He was “very worried” that he could not find any help.
“Some kind local people called the police to help me. The police were so friendly and helpful.”
“I don’t think I would have been treated so well in any other country I have been to,” he wrote.
Mattacott has been coming to Vietnam since late 2019 and usually travels by motorcycle.
He said he has traveled to 34 countries and dealt with plenty of police officers, but his experience with the two Vietnamese officers in Quang Ngai “ranks among the very best.”
Source: VN Express