Picture as the man is rescued.

 

In a remarkable story of survival, a fisherman who fell overboard was rescued after floating adrift at sea for two days and one night, relying on floating debris to stay alive. The incident, which took place off the coast of Satun province, has been hailed as nothing short of a miracle.

 

On the morning of September 3, Sunthorn Khaosom, 56, a crew member aboard the fishing vessel ‘R. Chai Navi’, accidentally fell into the sea about 10 nautical miles off the coast of Satun. Despite immediate efforts by the vessel’s captain to notify authorities and begin a search, Sunthorn could not be found.

 

 

It wasn’t until the evening of September 5 that the Third Naval Area Command was alerted by staff at the Koh Bulon Mai Phai National Park in Satun, who reported finding the missing fisherman on the island. The navy then dispatched a team from the Koh Lipe marine security unit to retrieve Sunthorn and bring him safely to shore at the Langku naval station. Waiting for him there were his overjoyed family members, who were overwhelmed with emotion upon hearing of his miraculous survival.

 

Sunthorn recounted his ordeal, explaining how he fell into the sea and saw the boat moving away, despite his attempts to swim back and call for help. “I tried to swim and shout to my friends, but nobody heard me. I had to float to conserve my energy, even as the waves grew stronger,” he said.

As hours turned into days, exhaustion set in, and battling fatigue and rough seas, he held onto hope, thinking of his family and relying on his faith. “At one point, I thought of Luang Pho Wat Ban Laem, a revered monk whose amulet I was wearing. I prayed that if I survived, I would ordain as a monk for seven days.”

 

Then, in what Sunthorn described as a miraculous moment, he felt as though someone was helping him stay afloat. Soon after, a floating barrel appeared nearby, giving him something to cling to. “I knew I had to make it home. I kept thinking of my mother and my promise to become a monk. I was determined to survive,” he said.

 

Over the course of the following day, Sunthorn encountered more floating debris that kept him alive, including a sugarcane bottle that helped quench his thirst and a drinking water bottle that provided further relief. 
 

Finally, on the evening of September 4, fortune smiled upon him as the waves and wind carried him toward Koh Bulon Mai Phai, where he found refuge. Exhausted but alive, Sunthorn explored the island and found banana trees to stave off his hunger. After spending a night on the island, he was discovered by national park rangers, who notified the authorities.

 

-- 2024-09-07

 

 

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lucky man.