Triumphant strides: Thai mother amputee defies odds, on road to recovery (video)
The son of the Thai mother who lost her leg in a faulty airport escalator believes she will be running faster than him in no time as she took her first steps on the road to recovery.
Suphannee Kittirattana yesterday took her first tentative steps since her leg was amputated after it got tangled in a dodgy travelator at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok on June 29.
The 57 year old Thai mother was walking on the travelator en route to a gate for a flight to Nakhon Si Thammarat province at about 8.30am when she fell and her foot got stuck in the metal gap while the machinery ripped through her muscle, and tendons and bones as she cried out in horror.
Paramedics swiftly performed the on-site amputation of her leg to extricate the Thai mother from the travelator. She was carefully placed on a stretcher, her severed foot protected in a foam box and swiftly transported by ambulance to the hospital.
Suphannee’s son, Krit, shared with Thai media that his resilient mother is learning to walk once again, akin to a child. He said…
“My mum walked for 15 minutes today and she has to practice every day. It’s incredibly motivating. Despite everything that has happened, she remains as beautiful as ever. I hope that soon she will outrun me.”
Airports of Thailand (AoT) accepted responsibility for the incident, attributing it to a fault in the walkway originally installed in 1987.
According to Professor Weerachai Phutthawong of Kasetsart University, the mishap occurred when three of the four bolts holding the metal surface plate gave way as the victim walked upon it.
“As seen in the picture, the cause of the accident was the surface plate falling out of the square rail because three of the four bolts (A, B, C) were unable to support it. Only the bolt in position D remained intact as the plate slid downward. The passenger’s leg then slipped through the resulting gap.
“As the travelator continued to move forward for approximately 10 seconds, the passenger’s leg in position E was forcefully pressed against a metal edge, causing severe injury.”
The Royal Thai Police criticized AoT for its failure to provide CCTV footage of the incident involving the Thai mother. Despite requesting the evidence last week, Police Colonel Adirek Thongkaemkaew, head of Don Muang District Police, confirmed that they had not yet received any cooperation from the airport.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities gathering witness testimonies and other relevant evidence.
In response to the incident, all 20 automatic walkways at Don Mueang International Airport were promptly closed, while airports across the country diligently inspected their escalator systems to avert any potential accidents.
Expressing remorse, a spokesperson for Don Mueang Airport issued a statement…
“The director and management of Don Mueang Airport have visited the patient to monitor her treatment and received updates from the medical team at Bhumibol Hospital, who reported that she is currently undergoing treatment. We are deeply saddened by the incident and are fully committed to assuming responsibility, as well as covering all medical expenses and providing compensation.”
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