Israeli Man Rescued After 20 Hours Adrift at Sea in Thailand

An Israeli man in his 60s was rescued unharmed on Wednesday from a remote rock off the coast of Koh Phangan, Thailand, after being adrift at sea for approximately 20 hours. The incident began Tuesday afternoon when the man, who was on a routine diving trip, was caught in a sudden and extreme change in weather conditions. Known locally as a common climatic phenomenon, the sea became rough, and the diver was quickly swept far from shore.

Demonstrating presence of mind, the man realized that fighting the strong currents was too dangerous. Instead, he swam to a secluded rock where he clung for about 20 hours while awaiting rescue. Meanwhile, his concerned family reported him missing to the local police. Members of the Israeli community on the island took initiative, establishing an makeshift command center and launching an extensive search operation throughout the night.

The successful rescue occurred Wednesday morning when a group of Israeli volunteers, searching the coastline on jet skis, spotted him on the rock. "It was a great miracle. We woke up to good news after a night of nerves and complete uncertainty," a local resident told mako. "From the moment we realized someone was missing, everyone here was on their feet, women and men, and launched a real rescue operation. Israelis in Koh Phangan are the first to respond to any distress, and the mutual aid here is exceptional."

This incident follows two other recent events involving Israelis in Thailand: a 43-year-old Israeli man died in a motorcycle accident in Krabi province about a month ago, and a 54-year-old Israeli man was arrested in Bangkok last month on drug trafficking and illegal filming charges. The latter had been in Thailand illegally for over 2,000 days.