Accident Man Seriously Injured After Falling Down Ravine While Foraging

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Kaoded.

 

A 47-year-old man survived a harrowing fall into a deep ravine on Phang Yae Mountain in Sai Thong National Park,  Chaiyaphum after becoming trapped on bamboo thickets midway down a sheer drop. Rescue teams worked through the night to locate and evacuate the injured man.

 

At around 03:00 on 12 August, the local district chief of Phakdi Chumphon, Ms. Assara Asasu, coordinated the efforts of over 60 rescue personnel from Huk 31 rescue teams from Phakdi Chumphon and Korat, local first responders and national park officials. The man, Mr. Chatchawan, a resident of Moo 3, Chao Thong subdistrict, had been foraging for mushrooms and bamboo shoots on the mountain since early morning the previous day.

 

His partner, Mrs. Dahwan, 48, alerted authorities after receiving a distressing call from Mr. Chatchawan in the evening, reporting a fall that left him unable to walk with a broken right arm, fractured ribs and a head injury.

 

Rescuers found him clinging to bamboo plants precariously positioned above a 100-metre vertical drop. The steep terrain and dangerous conditions meant the rescue and evacuation took several hours, involving careful planning and coordinated efforts to ensure safety for both the injured man and the rescue teams.

 

The man was carried over 3 kilometres by foot to reach a road where an ambulance awaited to transfer him to Phakdi Chumphon Hospital for urgent treatment.

 

During the rescue, Mrs. Dahwan fainted on the roadside, after seeing her partner and was also taken to hospital for care.

 

Mrs. Dahwan later warned others about the dangers of foraging in unfamiliar forest areas, especially during the rainy season when slippery moss and waterlogged rocks increase the risk of accidents. She urged villagers and forest gatherers to exercise caution or avoid such activities without proper preparation.

 

Chaiyaphum province frequently records incidents of villagers getting lost or injured while foraging in forested areas. Just last week, a villager was found dead in Phu Lan Ka National Park and another recent case involved a mushroom forager getting lost on Phang Yae Mountain.

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Kaoded 2025-08-13