Chinese tourist reunites with Thai rescuers after being pushed off cliff by husband in 2019
A pregnant Chinese tourist who survived after her husband pushed her off a cliff in Thailand's Pha Taem National Park in 2019 returned to the kingdom to express gratitude to the officials for saving her.
Wang Nan was moved to tears as she hugged and thanked the four rescuers at the scenic spot's office in Ubon Ratchathani province last week.
Wang commended the swift response of the park's authorities to the incident in which she sustained grievous injuries, including multiple bone fractures, after falling 34 metres down the hill.
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She also offered baskets of health drinks to the rescuers as a gesture of goodwill.
Three months pregnant with her husband Yu Xiaodong's child, Wang hit a thick layer of trees before landing on a trail at the park.
The couple visited the cliff, famous for its rock paintings, to see the sunrise.
A local traveller spotted Wang writhing in pain and alerted officials, who rushed her to a nearby hospital.
Wang, who aborted her baby due to the injuries from the plunge, said Yu had attempted to kill her to inherit her wealth to settle his gambling debts.
He was arrested on an attempted murder charge about a week after the attack.
In 2023, Thailand's Supreme Court sentenced the man to 33 years and four months' jail, overturning a previous verdict that reduced his life imprisonment to 10 years.
Wang said Yu kissed her on the cheek and said "go to hell" before pushing her over the edge.
The woman added she had endured "an endless repetition of surgery and rehabilitation" over the past years and depended on her parents for support.
"I have healed mentally, but not physically ... There's such a gap between my mind and body now," she told the Post in 2021.
The pair got married in July 2017, just two months after meeting each other in Bangkok.
Wang's reunion with her rescuers also warmed the hearts of Thai social media users, who hailed them for giving her a "new life" and upholding the country's tourism reputation.
"I am delighted on behalf of the entire Thai people. I really love the Pha Taem team," a Facebook user said.
"It's so cute that even after all these years you still haven't forgotten their kindness," another wrote.
Some admired Wang's survival story and urged her to travel to the Southeast Asian nation again.
"I was very touched. Come visit Thailand again. May everyone be kind to you," a commenter said.
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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