A British tourist has been rescued after spending a terrifying night in a snake-infested jungle in northern Thailand. Gordon Dewar, 63, from London, was returning from a cycling trip across Chiang Mai province when he decided to veer off the main road 'to enjoy nature'. He attempted to ride through a forest trail in the Phrao district on January 10 but lost his way in the rugged terrain.
With his food and water supply quickly exhausted, Dewar found himself unable to exit the forest before sunset. He decided to camp out in the dense woodland, surrounded by cobras, pit vipers, bears, elephants and leopards, before calling the police the following morning. Rescue teams eventually traced him after a search involving local rescuers, motocross riders, volunteers and drone operators.
Dewar said: 'I'm very relieved they found me. Without any food or drinks, I don't think I could have survived another night. I want to thank all of the people that helped to bring me back to safety.' The Chiang Mai Tourist Police received his call at around 10.30 am local time, and a team of about ten rescuers reached him at nearly 1 pm after navigating steep, mountainous terrain.
Rescuers found Dewar responsive but 'exhausted and dehydrated' after spending around 15 hours without food or water. He was given water and mineral supplements while medics treated his cuts and bruises. Officials said he also suffered muscle strain from days of continuous cycling. Dewar was safely brought out of the forest on a motocross motorcycle, along with his undamaged bicycle.
