Boy, 14, diving in Saen Saeb Canal dies after being hit by taxi boat

[rooster59]

Boy, 14, diving in Saen Saeb Canal dies after being hit by taxi boat

By THE NATION

 

 

A 14-year-old boy's diving excursion in Saen Saeb Canal in Bangkok’s Dusit district proved fatal as he was hit by the turbine of a passing taxi boat.

 

Nang Lerng Police Station was informed on Friday (June 12) about the fatal accident. Police were joined by divers of Ruam Katanyu Foundation, who took around 20 minutes to retrieve the body of the boy from the canal.

 

The victim suffered from multiple wounds after being hit by the turbine of a taxi boat that runs in the canal. The victim’s family said that the boy was studying at Matthayom 2 level at a school in Suan Jitlada subdistrict and he usually dived with his friends from a bridge over Saen Saeb Canal.

 

Witnesses reportedly told officials that the boy jumped into the water shortly before the boat passed under the bridge. As he tried to swim up he could not avoid the turbine and got fatally injured.

 

The taxi boat belongs to Krob Krua Khon Song (2002) Co Ltd and was driven by Somkid (last name withheld), 46. The company representative reportedly said they were sorry about the accident and offered Bt20,000 to the boy’s family for funeral expenses. Police have not charged anyone yet but more witnesses are being questioned.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30389566

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-06-13

 

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[Mak25]

Diving into a canal with regular boat service, what could possibly go wrong? Parents knowing about it but ignoring or not considering the risks...Not sure if it is allowed by authorities but then also police probably would not enforce anything even the risk is obvious.

Edited June 13, 2020 by Mak25

[Grumpy one]

I wonder what sort of lingering death awaits others who swim in the canals.

If the water was tested, I wonder what is breeding in it

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Witnesses reportedly told officials that the boy jumped into the water shortly before the boat passed under the bridge. As he tried to swim up he could not avoid the turbine and got fatally injured.

Seemed like a good idea at the time.. 

RiP young fella, 

[welovesundaysatspace]

I’m actually surprised people go swimming and diving in that cloaca. I used to use the taxi boats many years ago and the first thing passengers would do after jumping onto the boat was to cover their mouth and nose in order to not get the tiniest bit of water into their system. Then I heard the story of a famous boy band singer who died after his car crashed into the canal. But not because of the car accident itself, but because of bacteria getting into his system from the water. It really is a stinking mess. 
 

Poor boy. Hope he and his family find peace. A fellow student died a similar way when she was on exchange in Finland. Boat trip, fell into the water, head hit the turbine. 

Edited June 14, 2020 by welovesundaysatspace

[wotsdermatter]

17 hours ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

Boat trip, fell into the water, head hit the turbine. 

First, he would not hit the turbines as stated but the blades of the propeller(s). 

17 hours ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

but because of bacteria getting into his system from the water.

A tourist from the USA during the 1960s wrote a guide to Bangkok.  He mentioned that while travelling along any klong there would be people bathing and cleaning their teeth in the water.  He believed that their immune systems were so developed from such longtime behaviours that they were totally impervious to any infections that could be caused by the content of such affluence.  In fact, he did say that they were having their daily oral inoculations.  Things must have changed since that publication.

'nuf sed.

Edited June 15, 2020 by wotsdermatter

[mmushr00m]

I lived next to the Saen Saeb and you see kids jumping in and swimming all the time. Also see people fishing

The water quality varies, it can go from a muddy brown to black. When it's black, you can smell it long before you see it. Most of the time the kids know when to jump in.

In this case, you can't really blame the boat operator. It's a narrow canal and extremely difficult to avoid someone dropping down on you. Evasive maneuvers could've meant tossing passengers overboard or slamming into the canal wall.

Optimal procedure would have been a warning  sent out to the boats telling them to slow down in that area while having staff sent there to tell the kids to stop jumping off the bridge