Missing 84-Year-Old Woman Found Safe After Night Search
An 84-year-old woman missing overnight from her Chachoengsao home was found safe by a neighbor across a canal after spending the night in the rain; rescue workers had searched the area for hours without success before she walked to help at
Chachoengsao — The Chachoengsao Radio Rescue Center received a call on September 18 from the family of an 84-year-old woman who had gone missing from her home in the evening amid continuous heavy rain. The incident occurred on Soi 7, Moo 3, Baan Mai Subdistrict, Muang District, Chachoengsao Province. Family members reported that the woman was wearing brown trousers, a patterned shirt, and a green hat before entering the bathroom attached to the house around 7 p.m. She then disappeared.
Rescue workers and volunteers, more than 20 personnel led by Phirojon Boonyiran, the operation commander, conducted an extensive search of banana plantations and surrounding areas for over two hours without finding any leads. Given the presence of several large shrimp ponds in the area, officials suspected she may have fallen into the water. They searched the ponds by wading through the darkness until around midnight, when the search was suspended with plans to resume in the morning.
By morning, as rescue staff were preparing to search again, relatives called with good news: the woman had been found and brought home. Officers went to verify her condition and confirmed she was in the house, healthy and safe.
According to Chamnaj Chattavichian, deputy operation commander of Chachoengsao rescue unit, the woman explained that someone had placed a bridge for her to cross a canal to attend an event at Thawilsilaram Temple, approximately 10 kilometers away. However, when officials checked the area, no such bridge existed; the canal was surrounded by water and overgrown vegetation.
Family learned from a neighbor on the opposite side of the canal that they spotted the woman early in the morning, drenched and walking toward their house. The neighbor helped contact the family to retrieve her. It is believed she spent the night sheltering from the rain near the canal or under a tree before walking to the neighbor's house in the early morning.
Family members noted that the elderly woman has recently experienced some memory loss, but this was the first time she had wandered away from home. Relatives expressed relief that she returned safely and pledged to provide better supervision in the future.
