Bangkok — A 72-year-old British man was found safe three days after disappearing in the thick jungle of northeastern Thailand while visiting a friend on a motorcycle.
A local hunter came across Barry Leonard Weller in a remote forest in Khon Kaen on Friday, said Nattapat Taddy, a member of a local volunteer team who helped rescue him. He slept on a rock formation after climbing.
Weller said he hadn’t eaten anything during the trial, but used the grass as a straw to sip the water on the rocks, according to Nattapat.
The video showed Weller walking cheeky from the forest. A rescue team around him. He took off his shoes and wore shorts and an open shirt. He looked tired and had several small cuts on his leg, but otherwise he looked healthy.
“Yes, I’m wonderfully happy. I’ve never been so happy in my life,” Weller said. “My legs hurt, otherwise I’m happy. Hot. I’m just impressed with the work these people are doing. It makes me cry. They are doing a good job. “
He appeared in an emotional reunion with his Thai partner Ta Wee Chai Sanlit. They hugged tightly and cried before thanking the rescuers.
“Thank you everyone. Thank you to all the teams who have continued to fight with me,” she said, putting her hands together in honor of traditional Thailand.
49-year-old Ta Wee called and said Weller didn’t leave home on Tuesday. It rained heavily and she failed to find him. She warned the authorities the next day.
She said he told her he had taken a different route and got lost. Weller has retired and has lived in Thailand for about 15 years, she said.
There are many types of wildlife in the Thai jungle, including tigers, leopards, bears and elephants, but rescue teams have stated that certain forests are not considered dangerous.
