SA burn victim secretly escapes Thai hospital to return home after months of excruciating surgeries

A Western Cape ship captain who suffered severe burns in a boat explosion in Thailand has secretly returned to Cape Town after months of treatment and more than 40 operations.

The man landed in Cape Town last Friday after leaving a hospital near Bangkok without the knowledge of the hospital or the airline.

His return followed months of gruelling procedures and worsening physical and emotional strain.

Months of surgeries in Thailand

The ship captain was badly injured in July last year while working on a catamaran tour boat in Thailand.

Petrol accidentally spilt into the engine compartment and was cleaned up. But when he later returned to check the engine area, lingering fumes ignited and caused an explosion.

He suffered extensive burn wounds across his body and was admitted to a hospital near Bangkok for treatment.

During his recovery, he underwent more than 40 procedures to clean and treat the burns.

“He actually had more than 40; the 40 was only to clean and scrape the burn wounds the last few months,” said Jana Scheepers, a Paarl Post journalist familiar with the case.

The procedures were performed roughly every three days.

Doctors scraped away damaged tissue to help healthy skin grow back, but the recovery process was extremely painful.

Secret plan to return home

After months of treatment, the patient and his father decided he could no longer endure the ongoing surgeries.

They wanted him closer to family in the Western Cape.

However, the hospital refused to provide a letter declaring him fit to fly due to the risks involved.

Without that letter, airlines would not allow him to travel.

The family then devised a plan to leave the hospital quietly.

He was dressed in long-sleeved clothing and trousers so that his wounds were hidden under bandages.

“He basically just walked out, got into a taxi, and into the aeroplane,” Scheepers said.

Painful flight back to South Africa

The burn survivor was given morphine orally to manage the pain during the flight.

But the medication ran out during the final hours of the journey.

“The last two or three hours there was no morphine, so he was sitting in severe pain,” Scheepers said.

Despite the pain, he completed the journey and arrived safely in Cape Town.

Current condition

He is currently in Cape Town but requires medical care.

While doctors say his internal organs appear stable, his burn wounds remain deep and require ongoing treatment.

There are concerns about infection, including the risk of sepsis.

He can walk for short periods but cannot feed himself or shower due to damage to his hands and arms.

He requires assistance with daily activities and further medical care to continue healing.

For more details, listen to Scheepers using the audio player below: