CityNews – A German couple became instant celebrities and received much love and gratitude for jumping into the moat to rescue a family trapped in a car.
On August 19th, a family lost control of their car and plunged into the moat. A German couple, just arrived in Chiang Mai that day, were among the many bystanders. Witnesses say that no one had jumped into the moat, so seeing this, the couple jumped in and helped the family to safety. Pictures of their heroic act went viral on social media.
The 22 year-old-couple, Jan-Philipp Leifeld and Stella Maria Kaleth, talked to reporters on August 22nd saying they were surprised at the outpour of praise for something they said anyone would have done back in Germany. They said that they looked around and saw that no one was about to jump in, so they decided to. They added that such a response was common in their country considering it was a dangerous situation.
The couple were staying at Manee House guesthouse and the owners gave them three nights’ accommodation for free. The Tourism Authority of Thailand also offered the couple one free night at RatiLanna Riverside Spa Resort.