23 year-old American woman Hannah Michel
Gavios was seriously injured and her legs
broken in a 45-metre fall from a cliff at Ao
Nang in Krabi, Thailand in attempt to escape
a sexual attack from a man in Thailand.
Pol Lt Songpol Bunchai, a duty officer at
the Ao Nang police station said the attacker
identified as Apai Ruengvorn, 28, tried
molesting her twice, once at the top of the
cliff and again after she fell onto the rocks
below on Thursday, Sept. 1.
The second time, she bit his ear and he fled.
He then called 191 to alert authorities that a
tourist needed to be rescued. Miss Gavios
then endured a night of pain, trapped
between rocks near the sea with a suspected
broken back, before rescuers found her on
Friday morning.
"Officials received a call reporting that a
tourist had been injured after she had fallen
down a mountain in the Railay area," Krabi
Tourist Rescue Centre Director Nitiphat
Mongkolpradit explained.
"Rescue workers were searching for her last
night, but they could not find her, so this
morning we when out to search again and
discovered her lying in between rocks about
45 metres from the trail at the top of the
mountain. She was only 15 metres from the
water below," he added.
Sarayuth Tantein, Chief of the Haad
Nopparathara National Park - Moo Ko Phi
Phi said,
"Last night, park officials, Railay residents
and people from the local cliff climbing club,
all led led by park officer Boonnam
Chuyradom, went to look for the victim. They
found one man, later identified as Apai
Raingworn, who admitted that he became
aroused and made sexual advances toward a
tourist while taking her from Railay to
Tonsai," he said.
Apai told officers that the woman panicked
and ran away, causing her to fall down the
mountain, Chief Sarayuth explained. The
suspect was arrested on Friday after
admitting to the crime. No charge have been
filed as of yet, as police are waiting to
question the victim, Col Piyapong told the
media.
The victim was taken to a clinic in tambon
Ao Nang before being transferred to Krabi
Hospital. Doctors report she suffered a
broken lower back and nerve damage
requiring urgent surgery, she was transferred
to Bangkok Hospital Phuket where she
underwent surgery Friday night. The surgery
was successful but doctors reported
numbness in her legs.
"Ms Gavios is experiencing numbness on
both of her legs and doctors have yet to
confirm whether either of her legs are
broken," Nitiphat said.
Authorities notified the US Embassy, which
contacted the hospital and arranged for the
victim to be transferred to Bumrungrad
Hospital in Bangkok. Her current condition is
not known.
Source: Bangkok Post/Phuket News
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