Dramatic clip of rescuer retrieving dead body on bike draws praise
The Thai rescue team famed for helping rescue young footballers from a Chiang Rai cave in 2018 received more praise on Sunday – though this time their mission ended in tragedy.
Dramatic footage of a Hook 31 private rescue team member carrying a body out of a mountainous forest in Nakhon Ratchasima's Wang Nam Khiao district drew praise from netizens.
Rescuer Montree Piwpong said the operation was launched after the victim’s son contacted the team at 8pm on Saturday to say his father had gone missing in Thap Lan National Park forest.
The rescue team searched the forest until 2am on Sunday before halting the mission due to the risk of attacks by wild animals.
Montree said the headman of Hua Khao Thong village then contacted the team on Sunday morning to say the son had found the body of his father in the forest.
The victim was named as Lueng Chodkasem, a 73-year-old villager who had gone to the forest to collect luk samor fruit to sell. His body was found beneath a fruit tree with a broken branch, prompting suspicion he died from a fall while picking fruit.
"The operation to retrieve the body was very difficult and took more than 30 minutes as large vehicles cannot enter the forest," Montree said.
He said he wrapped the body with white cloth, placed it on his motorcycle and tied it to his back. Montree said his younger brother Apichart Piwpong helped him carry the corpse out of the forest. The body was sent to Wang Nam Khiao Hospital for an autopsy.