Tree-mendous: Neighbour saves man stuck up tree for 10 hours

A neighbour came to the rescue of a Thai man who got stuck up a tree in the Isaan province of Chaiyaphum for over 10 hours after an unexpected accident.

The victim, 46 year old Phongsathorn, was stranded in a Ceylon oak tree in his neighbour’s paddy field in the Nong Bua Rawe district of Chaiyaphum for more than 10 hours on Friday, September 6, without food or water.

Phongsathorn explained that he rode his motorcycle from his home to the site of the incident to pick Ceylon oak fruits for his family.

He climbed the tree and began picking the fruits. Unfortunately, Phongsathorn accidentally fell from the upper branches to a set of three-lobed branches, where he became trapped. Despite his efforts to free himself, he was unable to free himself.

The neighbour, who spotted Phongsathorn at 9am the following day, Saturday, September 7, alerted rescue teams. A crane was used to safely remove Phongsathorn, while another rescue team cut the branch. Phongsathorn was rescued without serious injury, suffering only scratches to his legs.

Another unexpected tree-related incident was reported in April, which tragically proved fatal. A Thai man felled a large tree by the roadside, causing it to fall onto a passing motorcyclist. The victim sustained a severe head injury, which resulted in his death.

In June, an 88 year old Thai man was killed in his wheelchair when a branch from a large bodhi tree at a temple in Chiang Mai province fell on his head. The man was reported to be in need, and his family could not afford the funeral. However, locals and monks at the temple came together to support the family.

In a separate incident involving a tree, 13 students aged between six and 18, a woman, and a man were injured when a tree fell onto a school van in the southern province of Krabi during a heavy storm.