A British tourist has been rescued by officials of the Hat Noppharat Thara Phi-Phi National Park in Krabi province, after he performed a base jump, in contravention of park regulations, and his parachute became entangled on the cliff face.
Park chief Kriangkrai Putcharoen and his men were on a routine sea patrol in the Railay Bay area at about 10am on Wednesday, when they spotted a parachute snagged on the cliff face and a man dangling precariously from the chute’s ropes, about 70 metres above the surface of the sea.
The team went ashore and contacted the provincial public disaster prevention and mitigation office for help. A team of rock climbers went to the scene immediately.
Meanwhile, the rescue team launched a drone to observe the tourist and found him still conscious, but he appeared to have sustained a leg injury. The climbers and rescue workers managed to pull the man to safety at about 4.30pm. He was taken to the Nang Bay Hospital.
Chief of the Conservation Area 5 Management Office, Surasak Anusorn, said that the tourist has been identified as 52-year-old Thaddeus (surname withheld), a British citizen. He added that the tourist will face charges for engaging in dangerous activities in national park area without prior permission.
He also said that the national park does not yet allow rock climbing in the Railay Bay area.
