PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN — A 20-year-old German man was rescued on Sunday after getting lost and being stranded on a seaside cliff in Khao Ta Mong Lai Forest Park since Saturday evening.
A team of police, park officials and rescue workers found Michael Heck-Roth on the narrow forested cliff of Ta Mong Lai mountain early in the afternoon after an hour search on foot. It follows another recent rescue involving a man from Kanchanaburi who was stranded in a mountain ravine for 18 hours.
The team successfully located him after local fisherman Boonsong Sangchareonsri, 39, spotted Mr Heck-Roth shouting and waving for help at 10am, and then alerted authorities.
Mr Heck-Roth said he left his rented bicycle in front of the park office on Saturday evening and walked up the mountain to see scenic views of the three famous bays: Ao Noi, Ao Prachuap and Ao Manao. But he got lost on the way down and was stranded overnight on the cliff until he saw a fishing boat passing by and shouted for help.
Mr Heck-Roth arrived in Prachuap Khiri Khan on Thursday and had stayed alone at a hotel in the Ao Prachuap area.
The German hiker appeared exhausted, dehydrated, and had scratches on his body, but after initial medical aid he was able to walk to the park office about one kilometre away with the help of rescue personnel. He was later sent to hospital for a medical check.
Park chief Pongsathorn Promkhuntod, said Mr Heck-Roth was supposed to notify park officials before he walked up the mountain and urged all visitors to strictly comply with regulations for their safety. He said the park would install a sign in English to inform foreign tourists of the regulations.