Father and Two Boys Drown in Chi River

Picture courtesy of Matichon.

An incident occurred in Maha Chana Chai district of Yasothon province, where a 52-year-old man, his son, and his nephew drowned while swimming in the Chi River to escape the heat.

The event unfolded around 16:00 on 1 May, when police at Maha Chana Chai Police Station were alerted to a suspected drowning near a sand depot in Ban Non Koi, Phue Hi subdistrict. Upon arrival, officers and divers from the Hook 31 Rescue Unit found distraught relatives and locals gathered by the riverbank.

Initial searches revealed only clothing and shoes left abandoned on the shore, prompting an immediate dive operation. Within 10 minutes, rescuers recovered the bodies of the father and his 14-year-old son approximately 15 metres from the riverbank. A second 14-year-old boy, the deceased man’s nephew, was found shortly afterwards in the same area, submerged in a deep channel roughly 5–6 metres deep.

According to grieving family members, the group had been working in nearby cassava fields earlier in the day. Around 14:00 the three entered the river for a swim. When they failed to return by 15:00, the man’s wife became concerned after spotting their clothing and footwear left untouched at the edge of the river. She quickly raised the alarm, and villagers began searching before emergency services were called.

Authorities believe the boys may have unknowingly entered a deep pocket of water and struggled to stay afloat. The father is thought to have entered the water in a desperate attempt to save them but was also overcome. The strong current and depth likely contributed to the tragedy.

Medical officials confirmed that all three deaths were caused by drowning. Police interviewed relatives and found no suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths. The bodies have since been released, after autopsies, to the families for funeral rites.

Both boys had recently completed P6 and were due to begin their first year of secondary school.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Matichon 2025-05-03.