Missing Man Found Alive After Two Days Lost in Forest
Man missing for two days in a Rayong forest was found alive in thorny brush near a canal, shocking rescuers who initially believed he was dead until he cried out when touched.
Rayong — On September 17, Deputy Lieutenant Sampang Suphaphat, a duty officer at Muang Rayong Police Station, received a report of a body found in forest near an irrigation canal in Tambon Khok Mao. He coordinated with investigation officers, hospital staff, and rescue personnel from the Rajadhani Memorial Foundation to inspect the scene.
At the location, Pakarun Siribut, 56, who discovered the body, explained that his younger brother Thanapol Siribut, 54, had undergone brain surgery following a previous accident that left him cognitively impaired. Thanapol regularly walked to a nearby shopping center using a canal-side path, which was overgrown with dense vegetation.
Thanapol left home on the evening of September 15 and never returned. His brother searched but found nothing, so he posted on social media asking for help and checked security camera footage, which showed Thanapol entering the canal-side path. Heavy rain the following day prevented a thorough search. On September 17, with help from municipal officials, they found his shoe and then discovered what they believed was his body lying in the forest near the canal.
Pirul Hengseng, a rescue worker with the Rajadhani Memorial Foundation, recounted that upon arrival, they found Thanapol lying on his back in thorny brush, nearly at the canal's edge and emitting a foul odor. Near the body was a large wasp nest. Workers sprayed pepper spray to drive away the wasps and cut vegetation to reach him, assuming he was dead.
However, when a branch touched Thanapol's face, he cried out, shocking everyone into realizing he was still alive. He asked for a cigarette. Thanapol had a weak pulse and was in poor condition, so rescuers carefully removed him and transported him to Rayong Hospital.
Rescuers were amazed, describing it as the first such case they had encountered. Thanapol's relatives felt immense relief and joy that he had survived. They believe he had not eaten for two days and had been exposed to rain throughout. They were grateful he was found in time.
