A RESCUER from Ruamkatanyu Foundation filed a complaint with police in Prachin Buri province today (Jan. 2) that he had been attacked by rescuers from another foundation who were angry over him having brought a woman badly injured in an accident to hospital from an area they claimed to be their territory, Matichon newspaper said.
Mr. Kanitpong Chanwan, 32, said it was at 7.30 p.m. that night when he heard that five to six people had been injured in the accident on Route 319 or Suwinthawong road near the entrance of Wat Don Yai.
As his foundation operates in Si Maha Phot district which is connected to Mueang Prachinburi district so he dashed there to help.
He saw that there was an elderly woman in bad condition, suffering from chest tightness and suffocating after the accident, so quickly brought her to Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital for treatment in their emergency vehicle.
However after he finished doing so, rescuers from another foundation responsible for Mueang Prachin Buri district strode up and accused him of crossing the territorial line.
He tried to explain that it was an emergency and there were many people injured who urgently needed help but the rival rescuers refused to listen and instead attacked him three times. The first time he was punched, the second time he was slapped and this was followed by four of them together bashing him up.
It led to his face, eyes, left side of his head and eyebrows being injured and various other parts of his body badly bruised.
At this point others at the hospital intervened and he raised his hands asking them not to beat him any more as he was only trying to help. This led to the other team getting in their emergency vehicle and driving away.
In filing the complaint Kanitpong said he wants police to take action against the rescuers who attacked him and that he remembered who they were and could identify them from photographs.
CAPTION:
Kanitpong and a colleague filing a complaint with police after being punched up by rescuers from another foundation. The Thai headline says, “Filing complaint over gang attack.” Photo: Matichon
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