THE BIGGEST EVERYDAY HEROES
To send off 2015 on an uplifting note, here are three heroic acts to help restore your faith in humanity.
Who’s the good boy?
In May, it was reported that a dog named Nom Sod (“fresh milk”) rescued a newborn girl who was abandoned on a garbage pile in Chon Buri. According to various reports, she weighed only 2kg and was covered in scratches. After fighting off two stray dogs that were attacking her, the dog picked her up, walked about 500m and placed her under a streetlight pole near its owner’s house. Eventually, someone walked by and noticed her. The baby was then sent to a hospital and her life was saved. The local police later awarded the dog with grilled chicken and a collar.
Bad-ass rescuer
Hospital staff member Teerawat Wansom, 34, became a real-life action hero when he rescued a male university student from a submerged car on August 8. He was on his way to visit his mother with his wife and child, when he saw another car crash into a ditch near the Chiang Mai City Wall. The student was trapped inside as the car began to sink. Teerawat immediately got out of his car. An auntie handed him a metal pipe, which he used to break the car’s window so the driver could escape. He then dragged the driver, who couldn’t swim, to safety. An award ceremony was held, during which Teerawat received a certificate and cash prize from the Chiang Mai governor.
Ordinary man to the rescue
On the morning of October 16, 44-year-old Chat Ubonchinda rescued a Norwegian couple who were stuck in mud while trying to take photos along the Krabi River. First, he took their equipment and backpacks to higher ground, then came back to pull them out of the sticky situation, but to no avail. He then decided to lay down on the mud so the couple could use his back as support while pulling themselves out. After the couple was free, he walked over the mud back to his boat, like it was no biggie. The original video of the rescue was posted by a Facebook user and immediately went viral, prompting a search for Chat. The couple visited Chat at his home to thank him and the Krabi governor presented him with cash prize. He was also awarded a royally bestowed insignia for his good deed. Way to go, Uncle Chat.