A Vietnamese fish factory worker survived being trapped inside an industrial freezer for more than four days – by licking the ice to keep himself alive.
Mai Thanh Sang became buried under bags of fish fillets after shelving units collapsed in the fridge while he and three colleagues were cleaning the storeroom. Sang was trapped in the room with an average temperature of -22C.
The 23-year old said thoughts of his wife and baby helped him stay positive while a team of rescue workers spend 103 hours searching the storeroom to find him.
Speaking after his rescue, Sang said:
“I was crushed by ice. I was trying to scream but it did not make sense. I felt terribly hungry and knew I was getting frostbite.
“At first, I thought I would die but I quickly regained hope. My motivation to stay alive came from thoughts of my wife and my baby. I held on by licking the ice. But I was becoming more and more exhausted.”
The worker’s three colleagues escaped unharmed from the accident at the Van Y Company, while Sang told doctors he had ripped open one of the fish bags and drank the vomit-inducing liquid.
Upon his rescue, Sang was taken to Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where doctors said he was suffered from the worst case of frostbite they had ever witnessed.
A doctor on the 23-year old’s case said Sang only survived by the fact he had been wearing four coats and a protective hat when he was discovered.
