Monkeys -- on MONKEY BEACH -- attack influencer's family as dad throws punches to protect toddler son
AO NANG, THAILAND: An Australian toddler and his family were attacked by a group of aggressive monkeys while on vacation in Thailand. Travel vloggers Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu who have numerous followers on Youtube were on a vacation in Monkey Beach located on Ko Phi Phi Don island in Thailand with their two young sons when the horrifying incident occurred.
According to the video uploaded on Youtube, Whitelum and his children, Lenny and Darwin, spotted a group of monkeys on the beach, and one of them began to search through their bag, which had wallets, phones, cameras, and a passport. When the monkey began rummaging through the family's bag, Whitelum moved toward the animal to prevent it from taking their belongings. However, the monkey became defensive and lunged at him. The animal then started approaching Whitelum's one-year-old son, Darwin, causing him to quickly shield his child behind him. However, the monkey attacked again before Whitelum was able to pick up his crying son, who had fallen during the confrontation, and retreat into the water. This action was in line with recommended safety procedures.
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'They could’ve scarred him for life'
After witnessing the attack and the toddler was rescued from danger, a friend said in the video, "It was scary, they could’ve scarred him for life." According to the couple, they did not conduct adequate research before visiting the beach, which is a natural habitat for long-tailed macaques. Monkey Beach is notorious for monkey attacks, some of which have resulted in fatalities.
The vlogger, Whitelum threw punches at the monkeys after they continued to rummage through their bags in an effort to scare them off. "I've been in a punch-up with a dozen monkeys," he said in the video. He then went on and told his partner how he felt so bad punching the monkey who scurried back to the shore after hearing many loud screams. "I'm not kidding babe... they went for Darwin," he said.
Whitelum was bitten on the finger
Fortunately, Whitelum's quick thinking allowed his son, Darwin, to escape unharmed. Nevertheless, the incident resulted in Whitelum getting bitten on the finger by the monkey. Since he had not received any tetanus or rabies vaccinations, he had to undergo several medical procedures that were quite painful. In fact, he even fainted due to the agony at one point. "I've never had a rabies shot so I need five, or more, in my wound. Then another five over the next 20 days," he said in the video. The doctors disclosed that they treat an average of two individuals per day for monkey bites.
Whitelum and Carausu, who have no prior sailing experience, began their journey with a sailboat and have since garnered over 1.82 million subscribers on their Sailing La Vagabonde YouTube channel. Their goal is to circumnavigate the globe by sailboat.