A 72-year-old British man has been found out of danger three days after disappearing into a thick jungle in northeastern Thailand while visiting friends on a motorbike
BANGKOK – A 72-year-old British man was found out of danger three days after disappearing into a thick jungle in northeastern Thailand while visiting friends on a motorbike.
A local hunter met Barry Leonard Weller on Friday in a remote forest in Khon Kaen province, said Nattapat Tadee, a member of a team of local volunteers who helped rescue him. I was sleeping on a rock formation after climbing it to try to see a route.
Weller said he had not eaten anything during his ordeal, but drank water clogged in the rocks, using grass as straw, Nattapat said.
The video showed Weller carefully coming out of the woods, the rescue team surrounding him. He was wearing shoes and shorts and an open shirt. He looked tired and had several small cuts on his legs, but on the other hand he looked healthy.
“Yes, I am wonderfully happy. I’ve never been so happy in my life, “said Weller. “My feet hurt, otherwise I’m happy. Hot. I just admire the work these people do. It makes me cry. They are doing a good job. “
He emerged in an emotional reunion with his Thai partner, Tawee Chaisanrit. They hugged loudly and cried before thanking the lifeguards.
“Thank you everyone. Thank you to all the teams who kept fighting with me,” he said, holding hands in a traditional Thai gesture of respect.
Tawee, 49, said by phone that Weller left his home Tuesday and did not return. It rained heavily and she searched for him without success. He alerted authorities the next day.
He said he told her he had taken a different route than usual and got lost. Weller is retired and has lived in Thailand for about 15 years, he said.
There are many types of wildlife in the jungles of Thailand, including tigers, leopards, bears and elephants, but rescuers said a particular forest was not considered dangerous.