British Couple Lost And Rescued On Phangan

[Maestro]

Has this already been reported?

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The Sun

By CHARLES RAE

Saved by trivia text service

BRIT holidaymakers Ian Lawler and girlfriend Ranelle Chapman got lost in a Thai jungle – and were rescued after sending an SOS to a London text service 6,000 miles away.

Jungle gems ... Grateful

Ranelle with her rescuers

Ian and Ranelle got into trouble on the paradise island Koh Phangan as they tried to hike to remote Bottle Beach.

After the couple had spent most of the night lost, Ian, 27, suddenly had a brainwave and sent a message to AQA (Any Question Answered) 63336, the trivia-answering business.

Ian’s text said: “Lost in Thai jungle, can you help?”

Within minutes Emily Hill, a researcher at the London-based service, had sent details for the local emergency services.

Unfortunately no one there spoke English so Ian sent another text.

This time, an operator got in touch with the local mountain rescue team who immediately went into action to rescue the couple from Battersea in south west London.

Ian, a bank recruiter, said: “It costs a quid to text AQA and those messages I sent were the best £2 I ever spent.

“We were there for eight hours in the pitch dark.

"We couldn’t see in front of us and there were lots of strange noises.

“I had used AQA before to settle arguments with my friends and it just hit me I should ring them for help.

“We are grateful to everyone there who helped us out in a situation which could have ended badly.”

It was not the strangest question Emily, 19, has answered since joining AQA part-time last November.

She thought Ian’s text might have been a joke but decided to treat it seriously just in case.

She said: “I am glad I did and I am very happy the couple got out OK.”

Emily is one of 1,100 researchers around the world who answer 17,000 queries a day and are paid 30p for each question answered.

The service was started by London-based businessman Colly Myers in 2004 and in four years has answered 11million text messages.

It has an annual sales turnover of more than £3million.

Emily, a student of Camden, North London, regularly earns around £20 a week in her spare time and researchers can earn around £7 to £12 an hour when they log on to the system.

The aim is to answer questions within half an hour.

Most are answered within 15 minutes and a great many get a reply in five minutes.

Co-founder Paul Cockerton said: “Obviously some people want to trip us up with difficult questions like “why did the chicken cross the road?” but, when an incident like this happens, then you know you are providing a good service.

"Hopefully, nothing can beat us.”

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Source: http://thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/mone...ticle957498.ece

[LaoPo]

Amazing

LaoPo

[endure]

Excuse me for being telephonically dim but how can you text a UK short number from Thailand? Or is 63336 a Thai number?

[LaoPo]

Excuse me for being telephonically dim but how can you text a UK short number from Thailand? Or is 63336 a Thai number?

He probably dialed +44 first ?

PS:

Here's the story from AQA:

AQA 63336 gets mountain rescue team out to customer in Thailand

http://www.issuebits.com/customerstories/cs_0801.htm

This is from their website:

"Q. Can I use AQA 63336 when I'm travelling abroad?

A. As long as you've got a signal, you can ask AQA 63336 a question. Simply text your normal number and you'll get an answer in minutes. Note that your network operator may add on a standard roaming charge."

I'm not sure if one has to dial +44 once abroad...I suppose, reading their answer, AQA and number is enough...

LaoPo

Edited March 25, 2008 by LaoPo

[Maestro]

I was wondering the same and then I remembered that with my UK SIM card (of O2, prepaid package) I can use the short number of O2 in Switzerland to check my balance. I don’t know if it would work with other UK short numbers such as that of AQA, as I have never tried it.

--

--

Maestro

[Patsycat]

They'll be telling that adventure/story at dinner tables for the rest of their lives!!!

[Gatorade]

They'll be telling that adventure/story at dinner tables for the rest of their lives!!!

You are right Patsycat they will dine out on this amazing escape from the jaws of death, for ever and a day.

But just think of the dreadful consequences if the phone had failed/battery flat, no signal.

The horror! A life theatening situation! To quote .."it could have ended badly" How? Attacked by enraged jungle fowl?

I am surprised that they are not too embarrassed to tell everyone.

Being on a relatively small island they could hardly avoid the sea at some stage, but why I wonder why they didn't retrace their steps.

[goldfish]

For those of you who aren't familiar with the breathtaking scale of the phangan jungle I've included a map

[sbk]

They'll be telling that adventure/story at dinner tables for the rest of their lives!!!

You are right Patsycat they will dine out on this amazing escape from the jaws of death, for ever and a day.

But just think of the dreadful consequences if the phone had failed/battery flat, no signal.

The horror! A life theatening situation! To quote .."it could have ended badly" How? Attacked by enraged jungle fowl?

I am surprised that they are not too embarrassed to tell everyone.

Being on a relatively small island they could hardly avoid the sea at some stage, but why I wonder why they didn't retrace their steps.

AFAIK, there are still wild boar in the hills of Koh Phangan. Cobras and vipers as well. So, yeah, it could have turned out badly.

[Kan Win]

Hi All,

I think this happend a few years ago, as this artical in the "Sun" was to promote "AQA 63336".

As for Wild Boar/s we have them in Kan as well as Snakes Coberas and all.

Kan Win

P.S. "Maestro" do they still have "Page 3" in the "Sun"

[girlx]

I think this happend a few years ago

i remember reading about brits lost in the jungle a couple years ago

[Samuian]

Even it was an advertising scam...

The traveler should of course ALWAYS make sure, how long the trek/trip will take, be sure to be accustomed to the environment, proper walking gear, map, lamp, water.... just in case neseccary survival gear!

The worst companion is of course panic....!

[Gatorade]

They'll be telling that adventure/story at dinner tables for the rest of their lives!!!

You are right Patsycat they will dine out on this amazing escape from the jaws of death, for ever and a day.

But just think of the dreadful consequences if the phone had failed/battery flat, no signal.

The horror! A life theatening situation! To quote .."it could have ended badly" How? Attacked by enraged jungle fowl?

I am surprised that they are not too embarrassed to tell everyone.

Being on a relatively small island they could hardly avoid the sea at some stage, but why I wonder why they didn't retrace their steps.

AFAIK, there are still wild boar in the hills of Koh Phangan. Cobras and vipers as well. So, yeah, it could have turned out badly.

I take your point, but any wild boar not wishing to end up as BBQ piggy would be well advised to keep a low profile.

As for snakes, I have a cobra (not a King) living under the house and he does not seek confrontation. (I agree that there are all sorts of creatures which might take exception to being trodden on by a couple of hapless losers).

So, yes I suppose it could have turned out badly but so can any day on these islands. The odds just don't seem as high as the evening drive around the ring and in my opinion their "dice with death" is/was hardly newsworthy.

[sbk]

Newsworthy if you are in England, I suppose. Not newsworthy to me either but I am sure for those back home it sounds all very dangerous, exotic and interesting. Probably more danger in crossing the road, but the cool factor in getting lost in the jungle is much higher than getting hit by a bus

[BigSnake]

Lucky couple

[LaoPo]

Lucky couple

Indeed..but also very irresponsible (especially the male, towards his gf) to leave their own resort (doesn't say where) and leave at 4.00 PM (!) for a trek through the hills & jungle -no footpath- for another beach without preparations, knowledge, food, enough to drink etc.

I mean, everybody knows it's getting dark at 6-6.30 PM.

Apart from that, they should have left a message with the resort they were staying, WHERE they were going and HOW, and that's rule #1

LaoPo

[funfun]

"Ian, a bank recruiter, said: “It costs a quid"