Turkish couple rescued after getting lost on hike in Phuket forest
Eakkapop Thongtub

PHUKET: Two Turkish tourists – a man and wife couple – who had gotten lost in a Thalang forest while hiking yesterday afternoon, were finally rescued by authorities late last night and have been returned safely to their Patong hotel.

At 7:10pm yesterday (June 13), tourist police were alerted about the lost tourists by staff at the Palm Beach Hotel in Patong, who had earlier received a phone call from their guests asking for help after they got lost somewhere in Khao Prateaw National Park.

Tourist police then coordinated with Thalang police, who dispatched Kusoldharm rescue workers to the national park in Thepkrassatri (sub district) to join park officials in the search for the Turkish tourists.

At the park's parking lot, the search crew found a sole, white Honda Click motorbike parked. Near the bike with Phuket plates, authorities also found a map of Phuket.

Park officials said that the bike had been parked there since about noon, while the Khao Prataew Nature and Wildlife Learning Centre visitor log revealed that Ms Pinar Burak, 34, and her husband, later named as Mr Bulent Burak, had entered the park at 1.05pm, and were thought to be heading to Tonsai fall.

Though the couple had earlier sent a selfie of themselves at a tree they were waiting, authorities were unable to get a hold of the couple, whose mobile phone is thought to have died due low battery power.

Nonetheless, by 10.50pm the search party finally located the couple, who were in a weak, weary and thirsty state.

As the couple were low on energy, rescue workers had to gradually escort the two back down the trail, and by 11.43pm, they reached the meeting yard near Bang Pae Waterfall.

Finally, by about 20 minutes after midnight, the search party had escorted the Turkish couple safely to the parking lot, where they were met with a standing applause from an anxious group of volunteers and park officials who had prepared an ambulance to take the couple to hospital.

However, the couple insisted, in English and Spanish, that they had no injuries but were tired and only wished to have their rented motorbike returned to its owner and to return to their hotel for rest.

Officials happily complied with the couple's wishes and sent them off to Patong via minivan.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/turkish-couple-rescued-after-getting-lost-on-hike-in-phuket-forest-video-52769.php

-- Phuket News 2015-06-14

Its frightening stuff I can tell you.

Once got lost an hour or so from Kanachanaburi in forest,tried walking trails,but they were water trails,for hours I was lost miles from anywhere frightening

Glad to hear they were found safe and sound.

Phuket:- A Turkish couple were rescued from Khao Phra Thaew Wildlife Sanctuary late Saturday night about five hours after they called a tourist emergency number to inform that they got lost in the forest.

Read More: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/832765-turkish-couples-rescued-from-phuket-forest/

Alarming adventure

It's easy to guess why they got lost if you've been up there lately.
There is a trail between Ton Sai and Bang Pae waterfalls.
It is about a 2-3 hour trail one way.
BUT, it is not maintained.
And trees fall down, side trails around the trees go in many different directions.
I've hiked this trail at least 6 or 7 times and still usually get slightly lost trying to find the right trail.

The rangers in these two parks, need to get together and send a crew out there once a month or so and cut down the blowdowns and re-establish trails.
But will they do it?
Yeah right.

This happens all over Thailand.
A trail gets advertised, and built, but rarey maintained.

The jungle grows back quickly.

Only the rubber tree workers keep trails open around here it seems.

Anyway, glad to hear they got rescued before the next light.

Wot a pair of Turkey's.

Try this, get a GPS of your hotel before you leave on your phone and use it if you get lost. It is easy to lose your way in a forest so you need to consider that before setting off for the day

It is a long time since I made the hike from Bang Pae to Ton Sai, but in those days the trail was quite easy to follow, so I was a bit surprised by this report. However, if the place has been severely neglected, maybe it is more difficult than before

Try this, get a GPS of your hotel before you leave on your phone and use it if you get lost. It is easy to lose your way in a forest so you need to consider that before setting off for the day

a GPS itself is not going to show you the where the trail is.

It will show some dirt roads (no dirt roads near this trail though)

You would need an app like "My tracks" that show topo and you can trackback with it.

But, yes, I agree that anyone attempting that trail should consider using an app such as "my tracks" on their smartphone and turn it on and know how to use it.

Yes, the trail is badly neglected as far as maintenance, and new side trails being trampled in each time there's a blowdown.

Doesn't help either that the gibbon rehabilitaion folks release some of their apes up there and have their own trails to go and give them some food and check on them.

It's confusing.

ps. I would venture to guess that the guy calling them turkeys hasn't hiked that trail lately.

It is a long time since I made the hike from Bang Pae to Ton Sai, but in those days the trail was quite easy to follow, so I was a bit surprised by this report. However, if the place has been severely neglected, maybe it is more difficult than before

There are regular reports like this.

"Officials happily complied with the couple's wishes and sent them off to Patong via minivan."

That must have been the most scary part of their little adventure but seems like they survived the drive with a minivan - not all do ...

fat lot of good having gps co-ordinates if your phone goes down, as the report said .

Try this, get a GPS of your hotel before you leave on your phone and use it if you get lost. It is easy to lose your way in a forest so you need to consider that before setting off for the day

a GPS itself is not going to show you the where the trail is.

It will show some dirt roads (no dirt roads near this trail though)

You would need an app like "My tracks" that show topo and you can trackback with it.

But, yes, I agree that anyone attempting that trail should consider using an app such as "my tracks" on their smartphone and turn it on and know how to use it.

Yes, the trail is badly neglected as far as maintenance, and new side trails being trampled in each time there's a blowdown.

Doesn't help either that the gibbon rehabilitaion folks release some of their apes up there and have their own trails to go and give them some food and check on them.

It's confusing.

ps. I would venture to guess that the guy calling them turkeys hasn't hiked that trail lately.

THat is true it doesnt but it will allow you to head back to where you started

Try this, get a GPS of your hotel before you leave on your phone and use it if you get lost. It is easy to lose your way in a forest so you need to consider that before setting off for the day

a GPS itself is not going to show you the where the trail is.

It will show some dirt roads (no dirt roads near this trail though)

You would need an app like "My tracks" that show topo and you can trackback with it.

But, yes, I agree that anyone attempting that trail should consider using an app such as "my tracks" on their smartphone and turn it on and know how to use it.

Yes, the trail is badly neglected as far as maintenance, and new side trails being trampled in each time there's a blowdown.

Doesn't help either that the gibbon rehabilitaion folks release some of their apes up there and have their own trails to go and give them some food and check on them.

It's confusing.

ps. I would venture to guess that the guy calling them turkeys hasn't hiked that trail lately.

THat is true it doesnt but it will allow you to head back to where you started

Not when you have been wandering around and a straight path across is not available.

Try this, get a GPS of your hotel before you leave on your phone and use it if you get lost. It is easy to lose your way in a forest so you need to consider that before setting off for the day

a GPS itself is not going to show you the where the trail is.

It will show some dirt roads (no dirt roads near this trail though)

You would need an app like "My tracks" that show topo and you can trackback with it.

But, yes, I agree that anyone attempting that trail should consider using an app such as "my tracks" on their smartphone and turn it on and know how to use it.

Yes, the trail is badly neglected as far as maintenance, and new side trails being trampled in each time there's a blowdown.

Doesn't help either that the gibbon rehabilitaion folks release some of their apes up there and have their own trails to go and give them some food and check on them.

It's confusing.

ps. I would venture to guess that the guy calling them turkeys hasn't hiked that trail lately.

THat is true it doesnt but it will allow you to head back to where you started

Not when you have been wandering around and a straight path across is not available.

You can see the dirction of your start point irrespective of how long you have wandered around. You can then head towards it, probably not in a straight line but you know where it is relative to your position

English and Spanish, well educated Turkeys they must be.

Perhaps the park entrance could sell cheap whistles to the people who are about to take the hike between the waterfalls.

No, that will be a non-starter, for a typically-Thai reason.

Maybe some remember a French tourist who got lost in the park in similar circumstances a few months ago. He was able to contact me (as the TPV in the area where he was staying).

I went to the park, got hold of the park ranger, and we started to walk in the darkness towards the waterfall.

To alert the tourist of our presence, I used my whistle to sound 6 blasts, - the standard emergency signal when using a whistle.

Well, I never managed more than the first blast! As soon as I started to blow my whistle, the park ranger told me to stop, 'in case I woke up the jungle spirits' !!

I kid you not. Here we were in the jungle, trying to find a lost tourist, and we could only whisper his name, no shouting, no whistles.

Yes, we found the tourist, and he was unharmed. But next time if there is a similar incident, please leave the Thais at home.