A Thai fisherman recently fell into the sea and miraculously survived after drifting at sea for two days and one night. He recounted that when he was exhausted in the sea, a bottle of sugarcane juice drifted to him, quenching his thirst and hunger, ultimately leading to his rescue as he drifted to an island.
According to a report from the Thai website Thaiger, the man named Suntorn Khaosom went out to sea on September 3 on a fishing boat but fell into the sea about 10 nautical miles (18.5 kilometers) off the coast of Satun province.
Suntorn recalled that after falling into the sea, he tried to swim back to the boat and shouted for help, but no one on the boat heard him, and he could only watch the fishing boat drift away. The people on the boat later noticed his disappearance and sought help from various rescue organizations, but he remained unlocated.
To conserve his strength, Suntorn decided to float amidst strong winds and high waves. As time passed, he grew more exhausted and eventually had to take off his clothes to lessen the burden and make floating easier.
He mentioned that on the evening of September 3, feeling increasingly despondent and hopeless, he resorted to praying to God. He made a vow that if he were to be rescued, he would undertake a 7-day religious retreat.
By the morning of September 4, he had nearly depleted all his strength. The scorching sun intensified his thirst. At that moment, a miraculous event occurred – a bottle of sugarcane juice floated to him on the sea, enabling him to grab it and quench his thirst. This bottle of sugarcane juice helped him survive another day by satisfying his thirst and hunger.
That evening, another miracle unfolded as the wind and waves brought him to a small island in Satun province. Upon reaching the shore, he explored the island and eventually found the staff of a national park, seeking their assistance. The Thai navy reportedly dispatched a rescue team to bring him back, reuniting him with his long-awaited family.
On September 6, the Thai navy shared photos of Suntorn being rescued on social media platform X, mentioning that he had drifted at sea for two days and one night.
Suntorn’s family expressed gratitude and astonishment for his safe return, considering his survival amidst the raging winds and waves a miracle.
In a previous report, Da Ji Yuan noted that if someone accidentally falls into the sea wearing jeans, they can try the U.S. Navy SEALs’ water survival technique, turning jeans into a life jacket. This method can help the person float on the water surface and conserve energy while awaiting rescue.
In 2019, a German man named Arne Murke fell overboard while sailing off the coast of New Zealand, wearing only a T-shirt and jeans without a life jacket. Recalling the method of turning jeans into a life jacket that he had seen the Navy SEALs perform previously, he replicated it. He managed to float on the sea using this trick for several hours until rescue personnel arrived and brought him to safety.