Boat race tragedy: Champion drowns celebrating victory in Thailand

[webfact]

 

A tragic twist of fate turned joy into sorrow when a 54 year old from Buriram province, drowned after happily jumping into the Chakkarat River to celebrate his team’s victory in a long boat race. The unfortunate boat race tragedy occurred yesterday, at the racing site along Chakkarat River, a tributary of the Mekong River, in the town of Phimai, Nakhon Ratchasima province.

 

The victim’s team had just clinched first place in the 40-paddler category. Overjoyed with the victory, Smithinan Dechachotthanasit leapt into the river, prompting his friends to dive in to rescue him. Despite their best efforts to resuscitate him on the riverbank before transferring him to Phimai Hospital, Smithinan ultimately died.

 

Friends recounting the boat race tragedy said that the deceased was an avid rower who had participated in the general rounds of the competition before taking a break to cheer on his team. When his team won, he was so elated that he jumped into the river near the racing site, which is approximately 4 metres deep. His friends, who witnessed the incident, jumped in to help and pulled him out to administer CPR, but they were unable to save his life.

 

by Samantha Rose

Photo: Sanook

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-11-13

 

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[JoePai]

drowned after happily jumping into the Chakkarat River

 

He died happy

[Chongalulu]

Non swimmer? How long did it take to drag him out? 

[soalbundy]

Kind of funny, but that's just my dark humour.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The victim’s team had just clinched first place in the 40-paddler category. Overjoyed with the victory, Smithinan Dechachotthanasit leapt into the river

Forgetting he couldn't swim?

[it is what it is]

Just now, hotchilli said:

Forgetting he couldn't swim?

 

people who can swim never drown?

[bignok]

13 minutes ago, it is what it is said:

 

people who can swim never drown?

Not if good swimmer

[Chongalulu]

22 minutes ago, bignok said:

36 minutes ago, it is what it is said:

people who can swim never drown?

Not if good swimmer

Statistically Most people who drown are swimmers . This is because non swimmers are far less likely to venture into the water. Stronger swimmers also tend to be more adventurous which can still get themselves into trouble. I’m a qualified BSAC dive leader and can free dive to 12 metres ,so I’m doing things even competent swimmers wouldn’t do. I’m always wearing proper diving fins (Mares avanti) and diving mask /snorkel. I’m not reckless and it’s calculated risk,but nevertheless…

[bignok]

12 minutes ago, nchuckle said:

Statistically Most people who drown are swimmers . This is because non swimmers are far less likely to venture into the water. Stronger swimmers also tend to be more adventurous which can still get themselves into trouble. I’m a qualified BSAC dive leader and can free dive to 12 metres ,so I’m doing things even competent swimmers wouldn’t do. I’m always wearing proper diving fins (Mares avanti) and diving mask /snorkel. I’m not reckless and it’s calculated risk,but nevertheless…

Yet are are still alive.

 

Lots of dumb tourists who can't swim drown every year at tourist beaches. Karon usually has a few.

 

Swimmers understand rips, non swimmers dont

[Confuscious]

A race with a "happy ending".
RIP

[arithai12]

11 hours ago, nchuckle said:

Statistically Most people who drown are swimmers . This is because non swimmers are far less likely to venture into the water. Stronger swimmers also tend to be more adventurous which can still get themselves into trouble. I’m a qualified BSAC dive leader and can free dive to 12 metres ,so I’m doing things even competent swimmers wouldn’t do. I’m always wearing proper diving fins (Mares avanti) and diving mask /snorkel. I’m not reckless and it’s calculated risk,but nevertheless…

Nonsense. We are talking about a quiet river (else the boats wouldn't be stopped), akin to a pool, not some ocean with strong currents. Do you have statistics that more swimmers die in a quiet body of water than non swimmers? And please, 12 meters doesn't make you a freediver, especially with those rubber fins.

[richard_smith237]

24 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

Nonsense. We are talking about a quiet river (else the boats wouldn't be stopped), akin to a pool, not some ocean with strong currents. Do you have statistics that more swimmers die in a quiet body of water than non swimmers? And please, 12 meters doesn't make you a freediver, especially with those rubber fins.

 

The idea that more swimmers drown than non-swimmers makes perfect sense, even in quiet water - simply (as stated) for the reason that so many more swimmers are exposed to water than non-swimmers. 

(there are stats out there to back this up - more men drown than women too).

 

However, given our location and the elevated numbers of non-swimmers there are in Thailand  I'd guess that its far more probable that the deceased was either a non-swimmer , but its also possible he was a strong swimmer and into difficulties such as cramp after exercising etc and drowned. 

 

I'm wondering why it took his team so long to fish-him out - this is one of those odd stories where the reader is thinking with so many people around how could this possibly happen.

 

 

 

Edited November 13, 2023 by richard_smith237

[Chongalulu]

4 hours ago, arithai12 said:

Nonsense. We are talking about a quiet river (else the boats wouldn't be stopped), akin to a pool, not some ocean with strong currents. Do you have statistics that more swimmers die in a quiet body of water than non swimmers? And please, 12 meters doesn't make you a freediver, especially with those rubber fins.

You seem to have some internal issues that need resolving…