MAE SOT, Thailand – A dramatic rescue operation unfolded late at night on November 24 when Thai soldiers from the Royal Thai Army’s 433rd Battalion, Special Task Force (R.433), responded to cries for help from a man stranded in a well for three days.
At around 8:30 PM, while on a routine border patrol near the Thai-Myanmar border, soldiers heard faint, distressing sounds from a dense forest area in Ban Wang Takian, Moo No. 7, Tha Sai Luad, in Mae Sot, Tak Province. The soldiers initially speculated that the cries might be from an animal or another source, given the darkness and the remote location. But when the commanding officer responded, a human voice answered, confirming the sound was indeed a distress call.
The soldiers followed the sound and soon discovered the source at a deep well approximately 10 meters in depth. Using a flashlight, they spotted a man, around 35 to 40 years old, wearing shorts and no shirt, calling for help. The man did not speak Thai but appeared to communicate in Chinese.
The soldiers immediately called local rescue teams, who arrived to help pull the man out of the well. Once rescued, the man was transported to Mae Sot Hospital for medical treatment.
In an interview with an interpreter, the Chinese man expressed immense gratitude for the timely rescue. He explained that he had been trapped in the well for three days without food or sleep, and was on the verge of exhaustion. Without the intervention of the Thai soldiers and the rescue team, he believes he would not have survived.
Authorities are investigating how the man ended up in the well. The Immigration Police have been involved to ascertain the purpose of his presence in the area, and to determine whether he had entered Thailand illegally.
This remarkable rescue highlights the dedication of Thai military personnel and local rescue teams, who put their lives at risk to save others in the most difficult circumstances. (TNA)
