Father tells harrowing tale of how two of his children were washed away - three dead in NE river

[webfact]

 

A father in the north eastern Thai province of Yasothon has told how he could not save two of his children from drowning.

 

Three children drowned in fast moving water at the Chee River in Cheuang Khan sub-district of Muang district yesterday.

 

None of them could swim. A fourth child survived because she could, reported Daily News.

 

Muang district police and rescue services arrives after a Phoo Yai Ban called Jirasak and villagers helped retrieve the bodies. 

 

Dead were siblings Kanya, 8, a girl and Thitichote, 11, a boy. Another girl called Anuthida, 11, was also dead. They all attended the same local school. 

 

The father of the siblings told how they and two friends had gone to look for shellfish early yesterday morning. They returned later and asked to go with him to the river that by this time was flowing strongly.

 

Panya, 35, told how he managed to grab hold of his 8 year old daughter's arm and the other two children were grabbing round her neck.

 

Her last words were: "Dad, I can't hold on any longer" before she released her hand and the three children were washed away to their deaths in front of the distraught father. 

 

Another friend, a girl, managed to swim to a sandbank and save herself. 

 

The police pressed no charges as a result of the tragedy.

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-05-14

 

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[robblok]

I would call this irresponsible parenting. I feel sad for the kids and the father but his decision was not one of the best.

 

But it shows that if you can swim you can survive. So many in Thailand can't swim its sad.

 

I agree with not charging the parent, he has been punished enough. Hopefully others will learn from this.

[keith101]

1 minute ago, robblok said:

Hopefully others will learn from this.

Unlikely as this happens all the time .

[robblok]

1 minute ago, keith101 said:

Unlikely as this happens all the time .

Far to true. I was trying to be positive. 

[sharecropper]

Instead of wasting time every day being brainwashed, saluting, singing and prancing round like the Hitler Youth at school, maybe schoolkids could have weekly swimming lessons instead?

[robblok]

Just now, sharecropper said:

Instead of wasting time every day being brainwashed, saluting, singing and prancing round like the Hitler Youth at school, maybe schoolkids could have weekly swimming lessons instead?

I believe that many schools have swimming lessons but not all and funding and consistency is often a problem. But they are trying to improve. But yea we all know that they don't like to spend government money on stuff like this plus when its spend who says it gets to the right people.

[Pilotman]

2 minutes ago, robblok said:

they are trying to improve.

an age old excuse, trying isn't good enough, just damn well do it. 

[shady86]

I doubt swimming skills could save the kids if the water flow are strong. 

[jschorr]

Very sad! According to the WHO, drowning is the leading cause of death for children in most of SE Asia.  In Thailand over 1,000 children die from drowning each year. The Thai Ministry of Public Health has a Merit Maker-Drown No More program to teach kids and we at the Chiang Mai International Rotary Club are running Children's Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Programs at 12 municipal schools in Chiang Mai and another 12 schools in Phrao.  The Rotary Club of Patong Beach in Phuket is running programs there and the Rotary Club Royal Hua Hin is planning a water safety program now.  Thousands of kids have been taught survival swimming through these programs, but obviously much more needs to be done, most Thais cannot swim!! If you want to help, send me a message and I can help you find a way.

[Scouse123]

A river the size of the one pictured and he knew by the afternoon it was fast flowing but allowed 4 very young kids, who couldn't swim, to accompany him.

 

What could possibly go wrong?

 

 When we hear of tragedies like these that are completely avoidable by just displaying a bit of common sense.

 

Heartbreaking news.

[Rampant Rabbit]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

None of them could swim

If I was a  Father I'd  think i'd  failed in my duty if my kids could  not swim.

[Rampant Rabbit]

9 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

What could possibly go wrong?

Same as when you see them standing up  in the middle  of the car between the two front seats, I  mean what could  possibly  go wrong.

[Scouse123]

9 minutes ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

Same as when you see them standing up  in the middle  of the car between the two front seats, I  mean what could  possibly  go wrong.

 

Yes,

 

It is like they just don't see danger.

 

I have always said in my years here, I have found them as a race of people, to be reactive in whatever they do as opposed to being pro active.

 

Without droning on and sounding like a grump, it's the same when 9 year old kids are driving motorbikes through the village AND on the roads nearby. No safety helmets, and no point talking about insurance or driving permits.

 

Then they fall off and injure themselves, sometimes badly and sometimes deadly,, and the parents give that ' deer in the headlights ' blank stare!

 

How did that happen, they wonder?

 

 

 

Edited May 14, 2021 by Scouse123

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, robblok said:

I would call this irresponsible parenting. I feel sad for the kids and the father but his decision was not one of the best.

 

But it shows that if you can swim you can survive. So many in Thailand can't swim its sad.

 

I agree with not charging the parent, he has been punished enough. Hopefully others will learn from this.

There is one infallible lesson to be learnt... it applies to everyone and every parent should do it.

TEACH YOUR KIDS TO SWIM, AND IF THE WATER IS DEEP OR FAST RUNNING STAY THE HELL AWAY

 

[Russell17au]

The big problem in places like Thailand is who is going to teach these children to swim because at a guess I would say that 95% of the Thai adults can't swim either and that is where the problem lies there are not any swimming instructors to cover all of Thailand but there are many swimming pools which are located at hotels and condos and even they don't have swimming instructors so the poor kid that is playing with his/her friends feel hot and just jump into the local pond on the edge of their village and you have another tragedy like this one

[BostonRob2]

6 hours ago, sharecropper said:

Instead of wasting time every day being brainwashed, saluting, singing and prancing round like the Hitler Youth at school, maybe schoolkids could have weekly swimming lessons instead?

Great idea ....in the village school's Olympic size pool?

[bangon04]

"None of them could swim. A fourth child survived because she could"

 

The Ministry of Education will be setting up a committee to mull this phenomenon....

[Deli]

3 hours ago, Russell17au said:

The big problem in places like Thailand is who is going to teach these children to swim because at a guess I would say that 95% of the Thai adults can't swim either and that is where the problem lies there are not any swimming instructors to cover all of Thailand but there are many swimming pools which are located at hotels and condos and even they don't have swimming instructors so the poor kid that is playing with his/her friends feel hot and just jump into the local pond on the edge of their village and you have another tragedy like this one

 

Lived in the ME long ago, many people couldn't swim but wanted to learn how to swim. Swimming schools were booming and had waiting lists. And not cheap at all. I doubt that people here would be willing to pay for a qualified swim teacher to get lesssons. They'd rather prefer taking chances. My GF's two kids cannot swim but went to University...

[Damrongsak]

A former neighbor in the U.S. taught her infant child to swim.  They're like baby ducks.  They float. 

 

   

[Liverpool Lou]

10 hours ago, sharecropper said:

maybe schoolkids could have weekly swimming lessons

Where do you suggest they have those lessons?   

[kimamey]

5 hours ago, Russell17au said:

The big problem in places like Thailand is who is going to teach these children to swim because at a guess I would say that 95% of the Thai adults can't swim either and that is where the problem lies there are not any swimming instructors to cover all of Thailand but there are many swimming pools which are located at hotels and condos and even they don't have swimming instructors so the poor kid that is playing with his/her friends feel hot and just jump into the local pond on the edge of their village and you have another tragedy like this one

I know this is an issue in a lot of Asian countries but when I go to one of the local pools in Mahasarakham there are a lot of good swimmers.

 

I suppose the problem is if the parents can't swim they are unlikely to be able to teach their children. If they're poor they can't afford to pay for lessons so the obvious place to start is as others have said the schools.

[Scouse123]

In Kalasin and Khonkaen I have seen that schools to deals on certain days with the hotels, usually the older types, with big swimming pools to teach the kids swimming.After all, Thailand has a lot of water in the form of lakes, canals, seas, bays, islands. It makes sense.

 

There really should be public swimming baths in all major towns and cities for this purpose. And they can afford to do these projects and invest in the people of the nation with proper planning and budgeting.

 

They need to  get rid of the dinosaurs currently in office, who are not only ridiculously out of touch, but they are also fossils of a bygone era and do not belong in politics in 2021.

 

 

[timendres]

On 5/14/2021 at 2:07 PM, shady86 said:

I doubt swimming skills could save the kids if the water flow are strong. 

 

So the one girl saving herself by swimming to shore was simply a miracle?

[Moonlover]

On 5/14/2021 at 2:07 PM, shady86 said:

I doubt swimming skills could save the kids if the water flow are strong. 

The report indicates otherwise.

 

On 5/14/2021 at 10:51 AM, webfact said:

Another friend, a girl, managed to swim to a sandbank and save herself. 

If they can swim, they stand some chance. But if can't the result is inevitable, even in still water.

 

Edited May 15, 2021 by Moonlover