A holiday to Thailand turned into a life-saving mission for four mates from the Illawarra region, who executed a daring cliff rescue of an injured BASE jumper in a remote coastal paradise. The dramatic operation unfolded on a searing hot day, with the rescuers dangling 70 metres above the ground to reach a man whose parachute had snagged on a treacherous limestone ledge.
Blood Flowing Like a Tomato Sauce Bottle
George Broadfoot, a science teacher from Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts, described the scene with vivid intensity. He recalled that there was so much blood flowing from the jumper's compound ankle fracture that it resembled a tomato sauce bottle being squeezed. The injured man, a BASE jumper from the United Kingdom, had been slammed into the rocks halfway down a 150-metre cliff after leaping on a windy day.
His parachute had become entangled in bushes, leaving him stranded on a narrow, sharp ledge filled with cactuses. The precarious location was not a typical climbing cliff, with spiky, breakable rock and no pre-drilled hooks for ropes, making the rescue exceptionally hazardous.
A Call for Help Answered
The call for assistance came on the morning of Wednesday, January 28, while George and his friends—Finn Irving, Justin Pang, and James Harrington—were enjoying rock climbing at Tonsai Beach in Krabi. This secluded area is renowned for world-class climbing and stunning limestone cliffs, though BASE jumping is illegal in Thailand.
Despite the risks, the group, along with a local climber named Hari Phongsopon, decided to help. They faced a daunting challenge: the cliff's angle prevented them from abseiling down, so they had to climb up from the bottom, drilling holes for rope hooks as they ascended.
"I was a bit worried about how safe it would be, but I trusted Hari because we'd climbed together a few days and I knew he was a very good climber, very sensible," George explained.
Hours of Painstaking Effort
The rescue took hours of slow, meticulous climbing under intense heat and humidity. Sweat poured down their bodies as they battled dehydration and the ever-present threat of a fatal fall. When they finally reached the jumper, his plea was immediate: "Water, water, give me water."
George described the situation as a nightmare, with the sun frying everything and the fragile rocks adding to the danger. As they hung from the cliff face, they bandaged the man's ankle and helped him stand on the tiny ledge to begin the descent.
"I couldn't see the bone, but once he stood up, it started like a tomato sauce bottle, and I could tell that like an artery was severed or punctured or something, it was like a movie," George said. "I told him to look away and then, then I wrapped his ankle."
Cheers from the Crowd Below
After a gruelling five-hour operation, the injured BASE jumper and his rescuers reached the solid ground of the sand below. A crowd of hundreds of tourists who had been watching from the beach erupted in cheers and applause.
"My two girls were watching from the beach the whole time, there was an emotional moment that was caught on film where I got down and gave them a hug and everything, and everyone clapped," George shared.
Reflections on a Dangerous Sport
In reflecting on the rescue, George expressed humility about the attention, stating it was simply something you do in such circumstances. He also commented on the reasons behind Thailand's ban on BASE jumping, highlighting the potential for tragic public incidents.
"Imagine if you're in a crowded area and someone's chute doesn't open and someone just hits the ground and splats and your child sees it, it's pretty bad situation," he said.
This harrowing experience underscores the risks of extreme sports and the bravery of ordinary individuals who step up in emergencies. The Illawarra mates' quick thinking and climbing expertise turned a holiday into a life-saving endeavour, earning them admiration from onlookers and a profound sense of accomplishment.
