BANGKOK – A 28-year-old American man identified only as Jack was rescued Monday morning after he got stuck under a drainage pipe at a condo in Bangkok’s Jom Thong district. He was found naked, wedged between concrete slabs used to support the building’s embankment along a canal.
Police from Bang Khun Thien station arrived at the scene on Kalpapruek Road around 8 a.m. after getting a call from the condo staff. Rescue workers from the Por Teck Tung Foundation and Bangkok’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department brought tools to cut through the concrete and reach him.
Jack lay underneath the condo building, with his legs sticking out of the pipe and visible from the canal. Even though he needed help, he kept telling rescuers in English that he didn’t want help and could get out by himself.
As workers cut and drilled the concrete, Jack tried to crawl further into the space, shouting nonsense.
The rescue became tense as teams crawled into the narrow gap and used a cloth to secure his torso before pulling him out. A second team in the canal pushed his legs from the other end.
According to Khaosod, during the rescue, Jack grew more upset and bit the watch strap of a female rescuer, then chewed on it. After he was pulled out, Jack kept talking nonsense and spat at rescue workers. Crews had to put a medical mask on him and strap him to a backboard for safety.
Doctors checked him and found only minor scrapes, but said he showed signs of paranoia and fear that matched drug use. He stayed confused and upset during the entire event.
A foreign resident at the condo helped translate for Jack, who said he lived there with a Thai girlfriend but couldn’t say why he had gotten into the drainage area.
Jack was taken to Somdet Chao Phraya Hospital for care and a mental health check. Police have contacted his family and the U.S. Embassy for help. Condo staff are also checking if he lived at the property.
