One Dead in Mun River, Surin as Boat Sinks, Grandson Drowns

[Georgealbert]

 

 

Picture courtesy of Khaosod.

 

In an incident on September 10, a grandfather and his grandson faced tragedy while fishing on the Mun River when their boat suddenly began to leak, causing it to sink. The 15-year-old grandson drowned, while the grandfather barely survived by clinging to a wooden post and calling for help.

 

Police Lieutenant Pichet Choochom-ngam of Tha Tum Police Station, Tha Tum District, Surin Province, received a report of a drowning incident near the Ta Aek overflow dam in Thung Kula Subdistrict. Authorities, including rescue units from Pathumthong, Asadin, Hook 31, Non Narai, and the Roi Et Provincial Underwater Disaster Response Team, along with a doctor from Tha Tum Hospital, were dispatched to the scene.

 

 

The incident took place in the Mun River near the Ta Aek overflow dam. Upon arrival, authorities met with Mr. Ta Maleewuan, a 50-year-old local resident and the grandfather of the deceased, who was waiting anxiously by the riverbank after the loss of his 15-year-old grandson, Sek.

 

Mr. Ta recounted the event, explaining that he had taken his grandson Sek to cast a fishing net in the river using a small boat they had borrowed from a nearby villager. Both Mr. Ta and Sek were unable to swim. 

 

As they were casting their fishing net, water began to seep into the boat rapidly. Despite their best efforts, the boat quickly sank. Mr.Ta tried to grab his grandson but was unable to reach him in time. In desperation, he struggled towards a wooden post in the middle of the river and clung to it, searching for his grandson but to no avail. He then shouted for help from nearby villagers, who immediately called the authorities.

 

Rescue teams conducted the search for approximately two hours before locating Sek's body. Following a medical examination, the cause of death was confirmed as drowning. As police recorded there were no suspicions surrounding the death, the family accepted the findings and received Sek's body to perform funeral rites.

 

-- 2024-09-11

 

 

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[brianthainess]

Unbelievable to me that a 15yr old boy can not swim. RIP.

[Tropicalevo]

5 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

Unbelievable to me that a 15yr old boy can not swim. RIP.

I cannot remember the numbers but I understand that drowning is the most common cause of child deaths in Thailand.

 

https://theaseanpost.com/article/drowning-still-huge-problem-thai-kids

[brianthainess]

4 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

I cannot remember the numbers but I understand that drowning is the most common cause of child deaths in Thailand.

 

https://theaseanpost.com/article/drowning-still-huge-problem-thai-kids

I'm aware of that, at 11yrs old I taught myself to swim using a dining room chair, and diagrams given out by the school, that would have been 1961. Swimming lessons should be part of the curriculum, especially communities near a river. But all they seem to do here is teach football/volleyball. Floatation devises could also be made from recycled plastic and foam. It 'aint rocket science.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, brianthainess said:

Unbelievable to me that a 15yr old boy can not swim. RIP.

A vast majority cannot swim

[brianthainess]

1 minute ago, hotchilli said:

A vast majority cannot swim

Yep I already said as much, in my full post.

 

3 hours ago, brianthainess said:

But all they seem to do here is teach football/volleyball.

 

[billd766]

4 hours ago, brianthainess said:

Unbelievable to me that a 15yr old boy can not swim. RIP.

And where would they learn.

 

Of the 5 schools that my son went to from P1 to M6 only 1 school had a swimming pool. The klong across the road from the house only has water deep enough to swim in for about 3 months of the year.

[brianthainess]

1 minute ago, billd766 said:

And where would they learn.

 

Of the 5 schools that my son went to from P1 to M6 only 1 school had a swimming pool. The klong across the road from the house only has water deep enough to swim in for about 3 months of the year.

3 months is plenty of time to learn how to swim. Or use school funds to use a resorts pool in low season, some would do it for free. It doesn't need much more than an an hour twice a week, say for 5 weeks, I still say it should be on the school curriculum. But finding teachers that know how to teach swimming would be a problem.

[Gottfrid]

And all can be solved by wearing floating vests. Dumb people!