Elderly Woman Rescued After Drifting Down River on Water Lettuce
An elderly woman was rescued after drifting down Thailand's Nan River clinging to water lettuce in weakened condition. Local residents heard her calls for help and paddled out to bring her safely to shore in Chai Nat province.
An elderly woman was rescued after floating down the Nan River clinging to water lettuce in weakened condition, with local residents paddling out to bring her safely back to shore. On September 17, Facebook user Paskorn Muankla posted a dramatic video documenting the rescue of an elderly woman clinging to a bundle of water lettuce floating in the Nan River between Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Tha Krasen in Thiang Thae subdistrict, Sak Lek district, Chai Nat province. In the video, the elderly woman, identified as Yai Chaew, was gripping the floating water lettuce in weakened condition. Local residents heard her calls for help at the same moment a rescue worker and the video poster happened to drive past, prompting him to stop and find a way to assist. He searched for a boat because the river current was continuously sweeping Yai Chaew further away, until he found a boat belonging to a local resident nearby. He then paddled out and successfully brought Yai Chaew back to shore safely. Yai Chaew was found to be in weakened condition but still able to speak and declined hospital treatment. It was later learned that Yai Chaew had gone down to collect water lettuce for cooking when she accidentally slipped and fell into the water, after which she clung to the floating bundle of water lettuce.
