Two travelers on the Thai island of Koh Phangan were rescued after they found themselves lost in the jungle while hiking, then called for help via the emergency services number. The incident was reported by Bangkok Post.
The individuals, a man from Spain and a woman from Belarus, reached out to the helpline on Tuesday evening, July 9, explaining that they were trekking on a mountain near the Moo village and could not determine their route back to safety. The call triggered a coordinated response from the tourist police and local rescuers who organized a search operation through dense terrain. After roughly two and a half hours, rescuers located 25-year-old Jaime Nunez and 22-year-old Daria Pankova, who were exhausted but unharmed.
Both travelers received food and water at the scene and were transported to the village of Moo, where they could recover under the care of local helpers. The incident highlighted the importance of staying with your group and having a charged phone with reliable connectivity when exploring unfamiliar jungle paths. It also underscored that GPS features, when working correctly, can be a crucial aid in locating hikers in remote areas, even if phones are capable of making calls. Many readers of Bangkok Post weighed in with comments, expressing surprise that the couple managed to contact rescuers via smartphone but did not use GPS to guide responders or help themselves. One reader questioned whether the phone had working service but no GPS, while another replied that it’s common for a device to be smarter than its user and that relying on the device’s location features can be a lifesaver in difficult terrain.
The report also noted the broader context of emergency response on Koh Phangan, where trained tourist police work alongside local guides and volunteers to ensure quick aid in case of missteps on trails or among dense canopies. This incident serves as a reminder to hikers to carry essentials, pre-load maps, and share their itineraries with someone trusted back home, especially when exploring less-traveled routes. The Bangkok Post coverage continues to remind visitors that preparedness is key in jungle environments and that help is available when needed.
Earlier coverage in local media mentioned a separate rescue story from the Seine in France, where a four-meter beluga whale was rescued, illustrating how rescue operations span a variety of scales and communities. The juxtaposition of a wildlife rescue and a human rescue on Koh Phangan emphasizes the ongoing commitment to safety and swift intervention in different contexts.