American Tourists Leap 10 Feet Off an Out-of-Control Elephant in Thailand [Video]

[webfact]

 

A Utah couple is lucky to be alive after their Thailand vacation went from joy to terror.

 

Nicole Siri and Mark Martin leaped from a carriage, 10 feet off the ground, after the elephant they were riding went rogue. Martin was left with a broken back and shattered pelvis while Siri broke her back.

 

Doctors in Thailand told them they would be hospitalized for months. Fortunately, a friend arranged for them to be medevacked back to Utah on a 20-hour flight. Now, they are healing at home.

 

 

Full story: INSIDE Edition 2023-11-01

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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[JimTripper]

Most of the elephants are quite angry. There was a minder that had a huge hook and he hit the elephant on the leg with the sharp hook so tourists could feed it banana's.

[bob smith]

play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

 

I thought they had banned this bs now anyway??

[bobbin]

I have done the elephant ride thing with my ex many years ago..

 

Shockingly high up... and you end up swaying from side to side.

 

Sad to hear they both suffered severe injuries.

[roo860]

This is what can happen when you mistreat animals  😢 

[JoePai]

Can only hope this story gets out to the world to show how stupid it is to ride elephants 

[John Drake]

Don't ride elephants, pet tigers, or feed the bears. You're asking for it.

[FruitPudding]

Poor elephant and tourists. 

 

Bet the guy who ditched them still got paid.

[Captain Monday]

Elephant riding is an experience I do not care to repeat

 

Nice friends though arranging a proper medevac  

 

I have not seen an actual "travel insurance" policy that would cover it

 

though I heard they exist.

[Millcx]

No mention of insurance cover by the elephant ride company … But one Danish guy made headlines about Thailand top place to visit … In the world 555555 … Give up TAT

[shackleton]

Yes I have personally.   experienced the elephant 🐘 ride many years ago up in Chang Mai 

Once was enough I can still feel the movement when the Elephant was going down hill 😱

Never again 

[Bangkok Barry]

Wasn't it just last week that TAT were spouting about providing elephants to safeguard tourists? Another U-turn is no doubt on the way.

[giddyup]

Broken back and shattered pelvis? Did the elephant stomp on him? Thought maybe a sprained ankle from 10 ft.

[Mavideol]

I couldn't stop laughing when reading it....  what about the required insurance or that's no longer a requirement

 

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help aid Siri and Martin’s journey towards recovery.

[Don Chance]

Elephant ride. What are they twelve years old?

[sikishrory]

Don't ride elephants.

Problem solved.

[cracker1]

So did the business owner renting the rides not have insurance cover for their customers?

There's a warning for others !

[spidermike007]

14 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Broken back and shattered pelvis? Did the elephant stomp on him? Thought maybe a sprained ankle from 10 ft.

 

All bets are off when you land awkwardly from 10 ft in the air on a hard packed surface. It would be very easy to break your back or your neck or hit your head and die instantly. Elephant riding is not a safe thing to do, and there's really no reason why this should ever even be offered. 

[kingstonkid]

Not sure I would have jumped off.  although the ride was hectic, I think the smart thing would have been to ride it out.

 

I agree though whie ther is a Yeah I did it kind of thing to it not sure it is high on my list.

[n00dle]

I recall when elephants used to tour soi 11, Cowboy and Nana, walking up and down Sukhumvit at night with old CDs tied to their tails to act as relectors.  One was an old bull so tall the minders carried a pole to move powerlines out of his way.  

obviously they didn't deserve what they got, but it was ignorant to try an elephant ride in the first place

[roo860]

25 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Broken back and shattered pelvis? Did the elephant stomp on him? Thought maybe a sprained ankle from 10 ft.

Didn't he say in the video the elephant pushed down on him with its trunk and head and he felt bones breaking? You did watch the video?

[n00dle]

24 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Did the elephant stomp on him? 

as the video story clearly establishes, yes the elphant stopmed on him and beat him with it's trunk after he jumped. 

[Jiggo]

Done the Elephant ride many years ago in Chiang Mai, still have not forgiven myself, yet that was down to my and others ignorance at the time, now would only go to a Sanctuary and interact with them.

[thesetat]

12 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

 

All bets are off when you land awkwardly from 10 ft in the air on a hard packed surface. It would be very easy to break your back or your neck or hit your head and die instantly. Elephant riding is not a safe thing to do, and there's really no reason why this should ever even be offered. 

You said no reason... but the reason is obvious...MONEY MONEY MONEY.. Which is really all they care about getting from foreigners in Thailand

[Lemsta69]

4 hours ago, bobbin said:

I have done the elephant ride thing with my ex many years ago..

 

Shockingly high up... and you end up swaying from side to side.

 

Sad to hear they both suffered severe injuries.

 

Shouldn't have been on the top of the Chaang in the first place, som nam na.

[Lemsta69]

11 minutes ago, n00dle said:

I recall when elephants used to tour soi 11, Cowboy and Nana, walking up and down Sukhumvit at night with old CDs tied to their tails to act as relectors.  One was an old bull so tall the minders carried a pole to move powerlines out of his way.  

obviously they didn't deserve what they got, but it was ignorant to try an elephant ride in the first place

 

Of course they deserved what they got. The knowledge of the world at their fingertips but they decide to stay ignorant and abuse the beautiful Chaang anyway.

[n00dle]

7 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

 

Of course they deserved what they got. The knowledge of the world at their fingertips but they decide to stay ignorant and abuse the beautiful Chaang anyway.

Right. lets remember that next time you encounter misfortune, perhaps falling off a hooker. Should have known better, yeah uh.  

because a lifetime of health issues is just compensation for a lapse in judgement. 

[giddyup]

11 minutes ago, Jiggo said:

Done the Elephant ride many years ago in Chiang Mai, still have not forgiven myself, yet that was down to my and others ignorance at the time, now would only go to a Sanctuary and interact with them.

Never forgave myself for watching a bullfight in Spain or buying a leopard skin in Uganda, but it was a different world then and we live and learn.

[Fruit4Life]

Agreed, please ban any riding, touching or feeding wild animals please.

[malibukid]

dumb hicks