Missing 7-Year-Old Found Drowned in School Pond

Picture from responders.

A seven-year-old boy who went missing from his home has been found drowned in a pond behind a local school in Ban Khaai district, Chaiyaphum province. Authorities believe he may have been searching for shellfish to sell when he ventured too deep into the water and drowned unnoticed.

At approximately 20:45 on 6 March, Pol. Lt. Pakornkiat Detchaiyaphum, an investigator at Ban Khaai Police Station, received a report from the Sawang Koonatham Chaiyaphum Rescue Unit confirming that the child’s body had been found.

The boy, referred to as “Ae”, had been reported missing since 17:00 on 5 March. Family members and concerned residents had taken to social media, sharing urgent appeals for information on his whereabouts. Local officials, including the Tambon Administrative Organisation (TAO) Chief of Non Samran, called in rescue teams to assist with the search.

Rescuers discovered the child’s body floating in the pond behind the school. Authorities immediately launched an investigation and conducted an examination at the scene.

The boy’s grandfather recounted that Ae lived with his grandparents while his parents worked in another province. He usually stayed close to home, often playing with his older brother. On the evening of 5 March, Ae had asked to follow his brother and friends to search for honeycombs, but they left without him due to limited space in their vehicle. Instead, he decided to play near the school, where he was last seen.

Rescue worker Apichart Suwajo, who first spotted the child’s body, explained that search efforts had gone on for hours without success. Given reports that Ae often collected shellfish to sell, he decided to check the pond behind the school one last time. There, he found the boy’s shoes near the water’s edge, and soon after, his lifeless body floating in the pond.

Pol. Lt. Pakornkiat Detchaiyaphum, along with a forensic doctor from Chaiyaphum Hospital, examined the scene and found no signs of physical assault or injuries. Preliminary investigations suggest that Ae drowned after accidentally wading into a deep section of the pond.

The official cause of death was recorded as drowning. The child’s body was transferred to Chaiyaphum Hospital for further examination before being returned to his family for religious rites.

-- 2025-03-08