Septuagenarian Rescued After Five Hours in Limestone Pit
A 70-year-old man was rescued after spending over five hours trapped in a 5-metre-deep limestone pit in Chachoengsao province, clinging to branches to stay afloat until villagers heard his cries for help.
Rescue personnel from the Sang Samut Thung Hiang unit responded to an emergency call at 6:30 pm on 15 September 2569 reporting an elderly man who had fallen into a deep limestone pit in Tambon Wat Suwan, Bo Thong district, Chachoengsao province. Upon arrival, officers discovered a roughly 1.5-metre-wide pit approximately 5 metres deep, where they found 70-year-old Suriyan soaking wet and rapidly losing strength. A grass cutter lay nearby.
Suriyan explained that he had been cutting grass in the overgrown area in the afternoon, unaware of the pit hidden beneath the vegetation. He accidentally fell into the pit and became trapped, unable to climb out alone. He remained in the water from approximately 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm—over five hours—clinging to branches inside the pit to stay afloat and prevent drowning. Branches and materials in the pit prevented serious injury. As his strength faded, he called for help and prayed that someone would pass by and rescue him. Suriyan believes his survival was due to the blessing of Luang Pu Tuad, the amulet he wore, which he credits with inspiring locals to come to that area and hear his cries.
A villager who noticed grass-cutting marks ventured to investigate and heard faint cries of "ooy" growing progressively quieter. Unsure of the source, the villager called nearby residents to help search. They discovered the elderly man in the limestone pit and quickly brought ladders and rope, helping him gradually climb out and pulling him to safety. The man was extremely exhausted and still dripping wet after his ordeal, but was rescued successfully.
