Italian Found Dead After Fall from Ranong Bridge

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture from responders.

 

A 65-year-old Italian national has been found dead beneath a bridge in Ranong, after what appears to have been a fatal fall. The discovery was made by a local resident who had stopped at the bridge to relieve himself.

 

At approximately 18:00 on 12 March, police in Ranong were alerted to the presence of a foreign man’s body lying face-down on the embankment of Khlong Rahat, beneath a bridge in the Khao Niwet area of Mueang Ranong district. The location was close to a national telecommunications company’s fence and around 100 metres from the site of the 2025 Annual Ranong Hot Spring Tourism Festival.

 

The man who found the body reported that, while urinating by the bridge, he looked down and noticed a motionless figure among the tall grass. Concerned, he immediately alerted nearby traffic police officers stationed at the festival.

 

Police investigators, forensic teams, and rescue workers were swiftly dispatched to the scene, with Pol. Lt. Col. Suphachai Boontham leading the initial inquiry. Ranong’s chief of police, Pol. Col. Thawatchai Suncharoen, later arrived to oversee the investigation.

 

The deceased was identified as Mr Ricci Marco, a 65-year-old Italian tourist. His left cheek was resting against a concrete drainage pipe, and he had sustained serious facial injuries, including lacerations around the eye socket and cheek, as well as bruising to the throat and Adam’s apple.

 

Forensic examiners estimated that he had died at least 10 hours or longer, before being found. His belongings were still on his person, and no other signs of foul play were detected. A key marked “B2” was discovered in his pocket, possibly indicating his accommodation.

 

A local motorcycle taxi driver recalled seeing a foreign man behaving unsteadily near the festival entrance the previous night. Additionally, nearby residents reported hearing dogs barking loudly around midnight, which may indicate the approximate time of the incident.

Investigators believe Mr Marco may have attempted to step over a water pipe to relieve himself at the bridge, a common practice among locals, when he lost his footing and fell approximately two metres, striking his head fatally.

 

Authorities are currently working to contact the Italian embassy and Mr Marco’s family while continuing their inquiries into the circumstances of his death.

 

His body has been transferred to Ranong Hospital for an autopsy.

 

-- 2025-03-13