Swedish man rescued after jumping from ferry near Koh Chang (video)
A Swedish man reportedly jumped from a ferry into the sea near Koh Chang, an island in the southeastern province of Trat. The man was rescued in time but was in serious condition.
Rescuers from the Sawang Boon Chuay Luea Dhamma Satan Foundation were called to the ferry to assist the man, who was stranded in the sea at around 2pm on Tuesday, November 19. The individual was later identified as 28 year old Swedish national Lars Emil Tobias Söderger.
The ferry staff recorded the rescue mission and shared the footage with various Thai media outlets. In the video, the man could be seen floating and visibly exhausted. The rescue team threw a rope with a rubber ring to the Swedish man, enabling him to hold on and be pulled back onto the ferry.
A ferry passenger who spotted the man revealed in an interview with KomChadLuek that it was unclear whether Söderger was a passenger who accidentally fell into the sea or if he swam from elsewhere to seek help from the ferry.
The ferry staff claimed to have seen Söderger throw his backpack into the sea before jumping into the water. The motive behind his actions remains undisclosed.
Rescuers told the media that the man was in serious condition following the incident. In addition to exhaustion, he also defecated and urinated while being transported to Laem Ngop Hospital. However, it was later reported that Söderger is now in stable condition.
Some local news outlets speculated that Söderger’s actions were driven by depression, but this has not been confirmed by rescue teams or medical professionals.
In a related incident reported in April, 97 passengers and 11 crew members aboard an overnight ferry heading to Koh Tao in the southern province of Surat Thani were safely rescued after a fire broke out on the vessel. The victims suffered only minor injuries from smoke inhalation.
In a tragic ferry-related case last year, a German man lost his life after jumping off a ferry near Koh Pha Ngan, another island in Surat Thani. His body was found a week later near Koh Tao, over 40 kilometres away.
