Thailand rescue team’s deep dive: 73 year old Thai man saved from water tank peril

Satja Phutta Dham Thailand Rescue Team, in the central province of Prachin Buri, saved the life of a 73 year old Thai man who fell into a 3-metre deep water tank and was stuck there for over two hours.

The incident happened yesterday, September 24, at Khao Luk Chang Temple in the Kabin Buri district of Prachin Buri province.

The victim, 73 year old Nirun, was repairing the leaking tank but accidentally fell in while cleaning it and called for help.

A monk, who was passing by the tank, heard a cry for help but could not locate the source of the cry. He shouted out to Nirun and discovered that he was stuck in the water tank, so the monk called a rescue team for help.

Nirun started mending the leak at 9am and the monk found him at 11am. There was no water in the tank but the heat and the constricting confines of being trapped in a confined space made it difficult for Nirun to breathe and he almost lost consciousness.

The rescue team rolled the tank over on the ground and successfully pulled Nirun out of the cover, which was only 35 to 40 centimetres in width. Nirun was exhausted and vomiting from the stress and lack of air.

A nun immediately gave Nirun an inhaler and some water before he was then taken to the hospital for a further health check.

The monk who sounded the alarm reported that Nirun had been an ardent supporter of the temple, offering his selfless assistance during ceremonies and participating in the maintenance and repair of temple facilities without seeking any fees. The monk added that it was a stroke of fortune that Nirun’s dedication was reciprocated with a timely rescue.

The update on Nirun’s condition had not yet been revealed in the report.

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