Boy, 8, dies saving his friend from drowning

 

Thai caption: he helped a friend, but died himself

 

Tragedy struck a village in Bueng Kan province in Thailand's north eastern region. 

 

Three friends in the second year of primary school (P2) went to cool off in a fish rearing pond in a rice paddy.

 

One of the boys fell into a deep section of the pond but was helped by "Tam" aged 8 who held out his hand to pull him to safety. 

 

However, in so doing Tam fell into the two meter deep water himself and the other boys were unable to help him get out.

 

They ran back to seek help from adults but by the time they arrived at the pond Tam was already dead from drowning. 

 

The incident happened at the village of Ban Pattana in the Don Ya Nang police jurisdiction, reported Sanook. 

 

An unnamed official said that this was the fourth case of drowning of a child in the province since the start of the school holidays that began this month.  

 

Source: Sanook

 

 

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How very tragic, such a waste of a young life, died helping his friend, died a hero.

When oh when are parents here going to take care/ responsibility for their children, and either teach them to swim, or keep them away from deep water?

I agree with colinneil, as there surely should have been an older person close by to keep an eye on the youngsters. As he says, not enough importance is attached to learning to swim when kids are young. All in all a very sad day for the village and tragic for the parents.  Bravo to Tam who gave his life to save his friend. R.I.P.

 

RIP courageous little  lad. Hope that there's someone over there where you are now to reward you from your heroic action. Just too many Thai kids die from drowning every year. AFAIK only expensive private schools teach children how to swim. That's a shame. 

poor kid … and very sad for the parents who have lost their son.

RIP young man. 

A similar thing happened years ago when I was in Saudi Arabia, 2 young boys who were brothers swimming in a lake not far from where i was staying, they apparently both went into the water and got stuck in the mud and both drowned.

It should be made mandatory as part of the school system that every child must learn to swim properly. 

RIP, little hero!

Tragic.

All the schools 12 years and up around our way now have compulsory swimming lessons, so all the kids this age and up can swim.

It's a start but it should be introduced at a lower age, say 7-8-9 up.

I've always thought it a good idea to get the Thai Royal Navy to instigate a nationwide program of swimming lessons. Pretty much most market towns have a school with a swimming pool, and get all the outlying villages in that Ampur to take it in turns for their pupils to be taught.

Would be an actual positive thing for the Navy to get involved in, rather than slumming around an aircraft carrier in the docks and pretend submarines.

I couldn't swim until I was 11 (& there was no pool within walking distance until I turned 14)

 

As an adult I ensured all of my kids could swim before they could walk. I introduced CPR as they grew & this tragic reminder is a reason to refresh them (& wife) while school is off.

 

With so many drownings in LoS the only practical suggestion I can add is that something to grab hold of (Bamboo pole? Inner tube? Floating pallet?) should be placed in any water source likely to be frequented by children.

 

 

21 minutes ago, thaiguzzi said:

Tragic.

All the schools 12 years and up around our way now have compulsory swimming lessons, so all the kids this age and up can swim.

It's a start but it should be introduced at a lower age, say 7-8-9 up.

I've always thought it a good idea to get the Thai Royal Navy to instigate a nationwide program of swimming lessons. Pretty much most market towns have a school with a swimming pool, and get all the outlying villages in that Ampur to take it in turns for their pupils to be taught.

Would be an actual positive thing for the Navy to get involved in, rather than slumming around an aircraft carrier in the docks and pretend submarines.

That would seem an excellent way to keep RTN conscripts positively occupied within their communities.

29 minutes ago, evadgib said:

As an adult I ensured all of my kids could swim before they could walk.

Really? ????

 

Rip to the hero boy.

90% of kids that age in this area can not swim.No there is no school program to teach them how to swim either.Im sure more then half of the grown ups in this are can not swim either so who is going to teach them ?

Navy ? Good idea besides the fact that any thai <deleted> their pants when they see a uniform.Any type of uniform including a school teachers.

8 year old do walk from school and back to their homes in this area.No they should not need to have a grown up holding their hand all the time.

Teach your own kids to swim at a young age and just deal with the fact that some things you just can not change from behind the keyboard.It is just as tragic as the same age kids kill them self driving a motorbike.

 

2 hours ago, Matzzon said:

Really? ????

 

Rip to the hero boy.

All my children were put in and under the water from four months. I taught them even though I don't swim well or particularly like swimming. They all swim like fish and, in my family's case, have been doing so since just after they could walk. They are also taught to look  right, left,right and left again when crossing the road. These along with helmets and car seats will take out or dramatically reduce the risk from the leading causes of death among children in Thailand. 

 

Every parent should do such basic things. 

 

Rooster

12 minutes ago, Jane Dough said:

All my children were put in and under the water from four months. I taught them even though I don't swim well or particularly like swimming. They all swim like fish and, in my family's case, have been doing so since just after they could walk. They are also taught to look  right, left,right and left again when crossing the road. These along with helmets and car seats will take out or dramatically reduce the risk from the leading causes of death among children in Thailand. 

 

Every parent should do such basic things. 

 

Rooster

Yes, but of course. To me all that is just natural to do, and nothing that a give myself a clap on the shoulder for.

What I was reacting on was that all children could swin before walking. Eerybody knows that is not true. Maybe they were introduced to water before they could walk, but that´s a totally different thing.

15 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

Yes, but of course. To me all that is just natural to do, and nothing that a give myself a clap on the shoulder for.

What I was reacting on was that all children could swin before walking. Eerybody knows that is not true. Maybe they were introduced to water before they could walk, but that´s a totally different thing.

I didn't bite at your first attempt, not least because of the warning in #2, but took it as read that everyone would understand what I actually meant.

To clarify;

- All started at 4 months (inoculations prevent starting any earlier).

- All could swim unaided by the age of 2.

- 9 months was the earliest any of them could walk, by which time they could all swim proficiently but for obvious reasons not without in-water parental supervision. 

HTH

 

6 minutes ago, evadgib said:

I didn't bite at your first attempt, not least because of the warning in #2, but took it as read that everyone would understand what I actually meant.

To clarify;

- All started at 4 months (inoculations prevent starting any earlier).

- All could swim unaided by the age of 2.

- 9 months was the earliest any of them could walk, by which time they could all swim proficiently but for obvious reasons not without in-water parental supervision. 

HTH

 

Bite or no bite. You said they could swim before walk. Now you change to walking at 9 month and swin at the age of 2 year.

Whatever.

2 hours ago, Matzzon said:

Bite or no bite. You said they could swim before walk. Now you change to walking at 9 month and swin at the age of 2 year.

Whatever.

My original comment stands. Your response(s) lead me to assume that you aren't a parent or that you cannot swim

+

RIP little fella, very noble end to a young life.

27 minutes ago, evadgib said:

My original comment stands. Your response(s) lead me to assume that you aren't a parent or that you cannot swim

+

Sorry you are very wrong. I have a 22 year old son in my home country. I have a 7 year old and a 5 month old daughter in Thailand.

And yes, I can swim. Actually very good, due to that my father was a chief bath attendant. That´s why I also have very great knowledge about what it takes and how quick children can be able to swim.

See, how wrong your assumption was. ???? 

21 hours ago, webfact said:

An unnamed official said that this was the fourth case of drowning of a child in the province since the start of the school holidays that began this month.

Unfortunately the annual message doesn't seem to resonate with some parents !

adult or no adult, if he/she does know nothing about CRP, it is useless

Over the years I taught all my Thai nieces and nephews to swim. To me it is the most important thing they are able to do. Being top of the class in all subjects is useless if you fall into water out of your depth. Sadly there is a lack of public swimming pools here where parents can take their children to teach or have then taught. One day maybe?