well
BEIJING (SCMP): A bizarre incident in which a Chinese man fell into an abandoned well in Thailand and remained trapped for three days – his cries for help mistaken by villagers for ghostly sounds – has amused many on mainland social media.
The Universal Daily News in Thailand reported that on Nov24, local police in Mae Sot, Tak province, near the Thai-Myanmar border, received reports from villagers who heard strange cries emerging from a nearby remote forest.
As police and rescue personnel ventured into the forest to investigate, they called out and were unexpectedly met with voices responding in return.
Following the source of the sound, they discovered a Chinese man trapped at the bottom of a 12-metre-deep dry well in the forest.
The rescue operation lasted 30 minutes, and the man was found in a weakened state with a fractured left wrist, a cerebral concussion, and bruises across his body.
He was promptly taken to the hospital for medical treatment.
Through a translator, the man, identified as 22-year-old Liu Chuanyi, revealed that he had been trapped in the well for three days and nights without food or water.
To conserve his strength, he shouted for help only once every hour.
Nearby residents reported hearing strange cries from the forest starting three days ago, particularly at night when the sounds grew louder and more intense.
Mistaking these noises for hauntings, they avoided going outside after dark and did not dare to investigate the source.
Liu is now out of danger, and rescue teams suspect he wandered into the forest and accidentally fell into the well while trying to find his way out.
The reasons behind his presence at the Thailand-Myanmar border remain unclear, but authorities have contacted the immigration department to investigate how he ended up in the area.
Meanwhile, measures are being implemented to seal the well with a cover to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The incident has become a source of ridicule among Chinese netizens after being widely reported in China.
One online viewer joked: “A Chinese man shouting for help in the middle of nowhere? Of course, the locals can’t understand the language and might think it was a wizard uttering spells.”
“Kudos to his strength and stamina. Struggling for three days and nights but still yelling; this guy is truly impressive!” commented another. - South China Morning Post
