An Aberdeen man has been rescued after finding himself stranded in a snake-infested river in Thailand.
Martin Grant, 77, was out on his kayak in the Udon Thani province on Sunday when it got swept away by a current and became stuck in the mud.
The pensioner, who is originally from the north-east but now resides in Thailand, was able to cling onto a grass mound and use his final minutes of phone power to call for help.
He spent the next six hours in the same spot watching the sky grow darker and hoping the authorities would be able to track him down.
‘River populated by snakes’
The Udon Thani Tourist Police shared details of the rescue on social media, describing how they found Mr Grant with the help of a local foundation, officers and a translator.
Rescuers shared that he was “lucky to be alive” after spending so long in the river which is understood to be populated by snakes, lizards and leeches.
The 77-year-old told them he had travelled about two miles along a public stretch of water before his boat was stranded on an “unknown” island.
At about 8pm, officers from the tourist police found Mr Grant’s car parked near Ban Kok Kong Bridge which led them to believe he had sailed along the main canal.
Jet skis were then brought in to search the area while others joined to look for him the area on foot.
The tourist police wrote: “Villagers who mastered the route, searching the area near the island on foot, found Mr Martin but couldn’t get him out as they were on different sides.
“So, the officers were told to stay on the spot and wait for help.”
Cuts and bruises on legs
The rescue team used an aerial map study to find the path which would lead them to Mr Grant and successfully moved him out of the river by 10pm.
Photos taken during the incident show Mr Grant’s ripped shorts and cuts and bruises on his legs.
After the long ordeal, he received first aid treatment but did not wish to attend hospital, and was instead escorted home by officers to recover.
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