Snakes

British volunteer, 35, is marooned on a snake-infested island for TWO MONTHS

British volunteer, 35, is marooned on a snake-infested island for TWO MONTHS and forced to forage for food with four other castaways after the last boat out was cancelled due to coronavirusVolunteer Natalie Poole, 35, has been marooned on Kyun Pila Island, MyanmarShe went on March 19 to save a coral reef with the Ocean Quest Organisation Ms Poole and four others are surviving on basic rations and foraging for foodA rescue boat meant to bring them to the mainland on May 5 was cancelledHere’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19By Emer Scully For Mailonline Published: 15:44 EDT, 15 May 2020 | Updated: 03:34 EDT, 17 May 2020 A British castaway has been marooned on a remote snake-infested island for two months after her rescue boat was suddenly cancelled.Volunteer worker Natalie Poole, 35, has been living on Kyun Pila Island, Myanmar, with four others after a boat meant to bring them back to the mainland on May 5 never turned up. The group, who went to the island on March 19 to save a coral reef with the Ocean Quest Organisation, were supposed to spend one month there but soon found themselves stranded amid the global coronavirus pandemic, the BBC reported.Ms Poole, from Ashburton in Devon, was supposed to be spending the summer in England working as a teacher. Volunteer worker Natalie Poole, 35, has been living on Kyun Pila Island, Myanmar, with four others after a boat meant to bring them back to the mainland on May 5 never turned upBut plans have been put on hold and Ms Poole is ‘just trying to take things day by day’.She told the news website: ‘The hardest thing for me has been not knowing how long we’re going to be here.’It’s kind of up and down, we’re a very small group of people and we’re living in a very confined, close situation.’In the back of our minds is obviously families back home and stuff, which adds to the tension a little bit.’The group are surviving on very basic rations from the Awei Pila resort – a 15-minute dinghy ride away – and have been foraging for foods including jackfruit and yams.They’ve constructed a campsite out of pieces of plastic they found washed up on the island’s beach.  The group, who went to the island on March 19 to save a coral reef with the Ocean Quest Organisation, were supposed to spend one month there but soon found themselves stranded amid the global coronavirus pandemic, the BBC reportedThe scuba instructor revealed there was a boat leaving the island on Monday but she wouldn’t be allowed on the mainland without booked flight tickets home.She wrote on Facebook: ‘There are no flights and rescue flights full or require you to buy tickets in person in Yangon (Myanmar).’In order to get to Yangon to buy a plane ticket she needs to take a six hour boat ride to the mainland as well as a domestic flight across the country. The group have constructed a camp out of plastic waste that washed up on the island’s beach Plastic has been used to create a kitchen area on the island as the campers try to make themselves as comfortable as possible It is a six-hour boat ride from Kyun Pila Island to the Myanmar mainland and Ms Poole can’t get a plane ticket homeShe added: ‘Most rescue flights being posted with only a few days’ notice.’I can wait a little longer but then if the weather changes here, the boat journey could become impossible… so complicated!’ There have been 181 confirmed cases of coronavirus and six deaths so far in Myanmar, but the country is not taking any risks and has amped up social distancing measures in recent weeks. The country’s first case wasn’t detected until March 23.  The scuba instructor revealed there was a boat leaving the island on Monday but she wouldn’t be allowed on the mainland without booked flight tickets home. Pictured, the beach Ms Poole shares the island with snakes (pictured), scorpions, wild boar and monitor lizards Ms Poole, from Ashburton in Devon, was supposed to be spending the summer in England working as a teacher but her plans have been put on holdThe government has previously been criticised for its handling of the virus. On March 14, government spokesperson Zaw Htay said ‘lifestyle and diet’ protected Myanmar citizens from the infection.He also claimed limited credit card usage stopped the virus from spreading.Community quarantines were later put in place and Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, imposed a lockdown during the Thingyan holiday from April 10 to April 19. Restrictions are still in place in 10 areas.  Neighbouring Thailand, meanwhile, has had 3,025 confirmed cases and 56 deaths.No new cases have been reported in 50 of the country’s provinces in the last 28 days and it is thought a curfew, from 10pm to 4am, that has been in place since April 3 could soon be lifted.
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