It was a great Sunday afternoon for four residents of Phitsanulok province who had been missing six days and the soldiers who found them by helicopter.
On the sixth day of a search and rescue mission seeking four foragers who’d disappeared into the forest, officers conducting an air search erupted with joy after spotting them – and their three dogs –- in the middle of the Tung Salang Luang National Park.
“You stay there! Don’t go anywhere!” an officer is heard yelling from speakers mounted on their chopper in footage of the moment. He then tells them to build a signal fire so they can be easily spotted. “Make a big fire! Make a big fire! Make a big fire!”
They then cheered and clapped in celebration, concluding a massive search which involved three helicopters and more than 100 soldiers and volunteers.
The four were 45-year-old Viroj Chaichana, his wife Dang Chaichana, Tongrat Kanyaprasit and Panya Noi-in, 13. All are Wang Tong district residents. They went into the forest looking for food before they were reported missing Tuesday morning by a relative.
The group was rescued at around 3pm on Sunday and taken to a hospital for medical evaluation.
