57-Year-Old Woman Found Dead in Deep Pond in Phatthalung

Picture from responders.

A 57-year-old woman from Khao Chaison district, identified as Ms. Somporn Rakjun, was found dead in a deep pond, in her village on the afternoon of December 8. Relatives reported that she had previously claimed to hear mysterious voices urging her to jump into the water.

Rescue teams from the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Unit of Phatthalung Province recovered her body from the pond, which is over 5 metres deep, 8 metres wide, and 12 metres long. The operation, which began at around 15.00 took approximately 30 minutes. Ms. Somporn’s body was found wearing a traditional Thai sarong and blouse with no visible injuries.

Relatives shared that Ms. Somporn had exhibited unusual behaviour over the past month. She often claimed to hear voices instructing her not to eat and to jump into water. Concerned for her well-being, her family sought help from spiritual healers and medical professionals, but her condition remained unchanged. Ms. Somporn’s refusal to eat had left her severely underweight.

On the day of the incident, Ms. Somporn had left her father’s house, where she had been staying due to recent flooding in her own home, to return to her house about 100 metres away. She left at around 09.00, but when she had not arrived by the afternoon, her family began searching for her. They found her sandals near the pond and feared she had jumped in. Authorities were contacted, and divers soon recovered her body.

The body has been sent to Khao Chaison Hospital for an autopsy. Authorities have ruled out foul play, and the family has accepted her death as a tragic accident.

-- 2024-12-09