NONTHABURI – A one-legged monk was rescued from a roadside canal after his electric wheelchair ran off the road when he was returning to the temple from his morning alms round.
The incident occurred near Wat Masong school in Thaweewattana subdistrict, Sai Noi district, Nonthaburi Province.
Phra Vichai Saetang, a 57-year-old monk at Wat Masong, entered the monkhood 17 years ago and lost his left leg due to diabetes.
He was on his morning alms round in his electric wheelchair on Monday when the accident occurred.
Phra Vichai said there was regular commuter traffic on the road beside the canal and he tried to keep well clear of passing vehicles.
As he passed in front of Wat Masong school his wheel slipped off the edge of the sealed road. His wheelchair overbalanced and he toppled into the canal. (continues below)
People rush to rescue the disabled monk from the canal near Wat Masong school. (Photo supplied/ Wassayos Ngamkham)
Fortunately, there were people nearby. Students and others quickly rushed to help. They were able to pull the monk out of the water and returned him to the safety of Wat Masong, where he was able to bathe and change.
The Sai Noi Foundation later took him to Sai Noi Hospital for a medical check up. He suffered only minor injuries, abrasions to his forehead, legs and knees.
Sadly, his electric wheelchair is now unusable after being submerged in the canal. He is using smaller, manual wheelchair borrowed from another monk and not well suited to his larger build.
Phra Vichai said a second-hand electric wheelchair typically costs around 12,000 baht, and a new one upwards of 30,000 baht.
The monk's water-damaged, and now malfunctioning, electric wheelchair (Photo: supplied/ Wassayos Ngamkham)