Brit pensioner refuses to be rescued from desert island
A BRITISH OAP who was feared dead refused to be rescued by a search party after he was found on a desert island.
It was thought Michael Smith, 74, had drowned off the coast of Thailand after he took a plastic canoe out to sea and was not seen for two days.
Worried friends alerted police who started a search operation with coast guards and scuba divers in Chumphon Province. They tracked down Michael to the uninhabited Crocodile Island, or Ko Chorakhe, seven miles from the coast. It is known for its rough waters and dangerous rocks. But the adventurous pensioner, who was using a blanket as a tent, insisted on spending another night there. Watcharin Suwipis, of Marine Rescue, said: “He was camping under bushes… and said he was happy and felt comfortable.” Mr Smith is now safely back on the Thai mainland.