Hiker spends five days trapped inside cave - and then runs away from rescuers

06 November 2023 , 13:32

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Hiker Takwa Wananiwet, 47, was missing for five days before his rescue (Image: ViralPress)

A hiker who spent five days trapped in a cave ran away when rescue teams finally managed to locate him.

Takwa Wananiwet, 47, was walking through mountains near his home in Tak province when he fell near his home at the edge of Khae Rakee Village, Thailand. After five days he was found miraculously alive and a rescue team abseiled down the 33ft entrance to the cave to save him. However, five days away from his medications had left him “paranoid and confused” so when a would-be rescuer reached him he ran away. As night was falling, they decided to suspend the mission and left behind provisions instead.

The missing man was missing for five days (ViralPress)

Officers resumed the next morning, and worked with haste due to cold temperatures. Colonel Ongart Samphan, chief of the 35th Ranger Forces Regiment, said: 'Fortunately, Mr Takwa, after eating and drinking water, regained consciousness and was able to interact with the rescue team until the officials were able to rappel down and rescue him. He was successfully pulled up from the bottom of the cave.' Takwa was given first aid and was taken to a hospital, where doctors were monitoring his condition. He later explained he had fallen into the cave when he was disoriented from not taking his medications.

The man was confused when he was found (ViralPress)

In September, the body of a missing hiker in Montana was found after going missing for a week. Adam Fuselier, 32, was last heard from in Castle Pines on August 29, according to a release by the National Park Service (NPS). Authorities said Fuselier's car was left on the Logan pass at a height of 6646ft (2025m), this is the highest point in the park that is reachable by car. Nearby is Reynolds Mountain, which the NPS believed at the time that Fuselier may have been to climb. Search crews found Fuselier's body on Reynolds Mountain on Friday last week. A dog team, two helicopters and over 50 searchers looked for Fuselier and the NPS said "credible tips" were key to finding the body. A statement from the NPS said: The body of missing climber Adam Fuselier, a 32-year-old man from Castle Pines, Colorado, was found by NPS ground searchers at approximately 11am today. The park and Fuselier’s family would like to thank visitors for calls to the tip line that directly contributed to finding Fuselier’s remains."

Antony Clements-Thrower