Teen girl’s leg trapped in drainage grate during Songkran festival
What started as a fun-filled Songkran celebration quickly turned into a nightmare for one teenage girl in Chon Buri’s Sattahip district, after her leg got stuck in a drainage grate in the middle of the street.
The 14 year old, dressed in traditional Songkran clothing, had been enjoying the water fights in Sattahip market yesterday, April 17, when she accidentally stepped onto a metal grate at the roadside. In a stroke of misfortune, her right leg slipped through the gaps and became lodged.
Despite desperate attempts to wriggle free, she remained trapped.
“I tried pulling my leg out, but it was stuck. I started shouting for help,” she later told rescuers.
At around 2pm, locals alerted the Sawang Rojanathamsathan Rescue Foundation in Chon Buri, prompting an emergency response to the scene. When rescue teams arrived, they found a sizeable crowd gathered around the girl, all attempting to help.
She was seated on the ground beside the grate, clearly in distress but conscious and responsive. Rescue personnel quickly assessed the situation and began carefully cutting through the metal using specialised equipment.
The operation to free her leg took nearly 20 minutes, as the team worked to avoid injuring her further. Onlookers watched anxiously as sparks flew from the cutting tools, hoping the girl would be released without serious harm.
Once her leg was safely freed, the teenager was immediately transported to Queen Sirikit Naval Hospital for a medical examination. Although visibly shaken, she appeared to have sustained only minor injuries, reported KhaoSod.
“The girl was very lucky,” one rescue worker remarked. “If the metal had been sharper or the leg had swollen more quickly, this could have turned out much worse.”
The incident has raised questions about safety infrastructure at public events, especially during busy festivals like Songkran. Locals urge officials to inspect and secure road grates and other public hazards that could endanger revellers, particularly children.
While the teen’s painful ordeal cut her celebrations short, she is expected to make a full recovery and has certainly gained a Songkran memory she won’t soon forget.
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