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World|life|September 7, 2016 / 01:41 PM
New York woman breaks spine in Thailand after fleeing sexual harasser

AKIPRESS.COM - backpacker7n-2-web A New York woman vacationing in Thailand broke her spine in a fall off a cliff’s edge as she tried to scramble away from a local tour guide who was sexually harassing her, reports NY Daily News.

Hannah Gavios, 23, laid helpless for several hours as rescue crews and local rock climbers searched for her after the harrowing Thursday night fall. And her assailant confessed to police that he groped the woman even as she was sprawled out between two large rocks.

Thai media reported that Gavios, originally from Bayside, Queens, had undergone surgery. She was working in Vietnam as an English teacher, and had taken a short trip to Thailand during a few days off.

“She is an amazing teacher and human being,” said the co-worker, Darrion M. Willis, 27. “I’m just shocked. I just saw her, saying ‘have a safe trip’ before all this happened.”

Gavios did not respond to email and cellphone calls. But Willis said he had spoken to her over Skype, and that she was unable to walk because of her injuries.

The young woman’s parents were on their way from New York to be with her while she recovers in a hospital in Krabi, a province on the west coast of southern Thailand.

She hired a guide about 11.00 pm on Thursday to help get her back to her hotel through plush mountainous terrain between Railay and Ton Sai beaches in southwest Thailand.

The guide, later identified as 28-year-old Apai Raingworchai, made sexual advances on the young tourist, causing Gavios to panic and run from him. She was found about 150 feet below the edge of a steep trail and roughly 50 feet above a stream.

Raingworchai told local police when he found Gavios he groped the incapacitated woman, but did not rape her.

Gavios bit Raingworchai on the ear to fend him off.

Rescue crews weren’t able to reach the badly injured tourist until the next morning, Krabi Tourist Rescue Center Director Nitiphat Mongkolpradit said.

Raingworchai re-enacted the string of events that led to Gavios' fall for police and admitted he had made a sexual pass at the woman.

He was charged with assault causing injury and sexual harassment. He was being held at the Krabi provincial court.

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