TNR Staff

 

POLICEMEN and officials safely rescued a slightly injured Frenchman who had got lost in a hilly forest at Koh Phangan island, Amarin TV said.

 

Upon being alerted by 1155 hotline that a tourist was lost in the hilly forest at Ban Tai subdistrict, a team of Tourist police, Koh Phangang provincial police, Koh Phangan district administration officials and Mr. Termpong Sonvisai, an official of Than Sadet Waterfall National Park, went to search for him. 

 

He was later identified as Mr. Marouan Rouatbi, 26.

 

While they were able to reach Rouatbi by phone and WhatsApp messaging app they had to carefully plan the rescue operation as it was already dark and hilly terrain adjacent to Thong Nai Pan road difficult to go through.

 

Full story: https://thainewsroom.com/2022/08/28/frenchman-lost-in-koh-phangan-forest-rescued/

 

-- © Copyright  THAI NEWSROOM 2022-08-29

 

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On an island, I assume that if you walk downhill in a straight line you will reach a beach.

1 hour ago, Purdey said:

On an island, I assume that if you walk downhill in a straight line you will reach a beach.

I guess that you have never tried walking in a straight line through a jungle?

7 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

I guess that you have never tried walking in a straight line through a jungle?

It was late afternoon, it's not difficult to keep on a straight line when there's a setting sun to follow. ????

Truffle hunting was not a good idea.

3 hours ago, Purdey said:

On an island, I assume that if you walk downhill in a straight line you will reach a beach.

You're assuming that it was possible for him to walk, presumably disoriented, in a straight line through a forest in the dark.  You're also assuming that all islands slope gradually and conveniently to beaches with no obstructions on the way.

2 hours ago, grain said:

It was late afternoon, it's not difficult to keep on a straight line when there's a setting sun to follow. ????

Where did you try it?

His rescuers don't look so happy.

5 hours ago, Purdey said:

On an island, I assume that if you walk downhill in a straight line you will reach a beach.

You think that logic would apply to a French man? Wow

Seems to happen to a lot of French. Guess they don't get out of the city much back home.

3 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Where did you try it?

Well you see it works like this. The sun sets in the west, so being late afternoon you can see in which direction the sun is setting, so you walk in a straight line with the sun in front of you, and you will eventually arrive on the western coast of Koh Phangan. If at any time you find yourself walking and the sun is behind you, then you are no longer walking in a straight line.

3 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

You're assuming that it was possible for him to walk, presumably disoriented, in a straight line through a forest in the dark.  You're also assuming that all islands slope gradually and conveniently to beaches with no obstructions on the way.

They found him at 6:50pm, at this time of year the sun doesn't set until around 6:30, and it's not completely dark for another 15-20 minutes after sunset. So he wasn't walking around in the dark until maybe the final 10 minutes. However, you're correct there may have been obstructions like rocky outcrops in his way. Also remember he had a mobile phone and internet as he used WhatsApp, so it's puzzling that he couldn't establish where he was and get back on track using Google Maps. 

3 hours ago, John Drake said:

Seems to happen to a lot of French. Guess they don't get out of the city much back home.

Not a french name ...

Follow a stream or river downhill until you get to a waterfall...

 

Stop at the top to take a selfie.....

 

Take a few steps backward to make sure you are getting a good shot!

 

Hey Presto.....Problem disappears with disorientated French Man!

 

Happens a few times a year on Samui...

Another high tech trained 26 year hiker without a compass, hiking in the afternoon

what possibly could go wrong. Well getting lost is what went wrong, so I hope he has

learned something from this adventure, that lucky for him some Thai rescuers were

around to help him out. Just my opinion.

On 8/29/2022 at 2:22 PM, John Drake said:

Seems to happen to a lot of French. Guess they don't get out of the city much back home.

I know French people. Their skills are cooking, talking and drinking.