Brother, sister drown on Children’s Day

[Lite Beer]

Brother, sister drown on Children’s Day
Darawan Naknakhon

Two children drowned in a canal yesterday (January 10).

KRABI: -- Two children drowned at a tourist beach off Krabi yesterday (January 10) as thousands of families celebrated the national Children's Day holiday.

At 2:30pm, investigators were called to the scene where two children drowned in the Son canal 800 metres from Nopparat Thara Beach, Koh Phi Phi.

Rescuers spent over an hour underwater searching for the children, and finally brought the body of Wimwipa Keawyai, 14, up from the water. She was taken to Krabi hospital but later died.

Rescuers are still searching for the brother, Wongyut, 12, but fear the worst.

Maliwan Keawyai, 40, mother of the victims, collapsed on the sand sobbing when she saw the lifeless body of her daughter.

Wisut Keawyai, 42, father of the victims, said he took his family to Nopparat Thara Beach to celebrate Children's Day.

"We had a picnic on the beach while the kids played with their friends in the water. An hour later, the friends ran back in a panic to tell me my kids were drowning," said Mr Wisut.

Rescuers said that many tourists drown in this area.

Police said they assume that children play in the Son canal because they are unaware of the depth and how strong the current is. This is how the boats get in and out of the shore.

"Both children must have been swept away by the strong current to a deeper area before they drowned,” police concluded.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/brother-sister-drown-on-childrens-day-50493.php

-- Phuket News 2015-01-1

[bangon04]

""We had a picnic on the beach while the kids played with their friends in the water. An hour later, the friends ran back in a panic to tell me my kids were drowning," said Mr Wisut."

Only an hour unsupervised.... no need to blame the parents - they were busy having a celebration picnic.

[LivinginKata]

Brother and sister. The parents will be devastated. No need to pile on them. The parents paid a high price. The children paid the ultimate price. Sad Sad.

[johnnycthedog]

Brother and sister. The parents will be devastated. No need to pile on them. The parents paid a high price. The children paid the ultimate price. Sad Sad.

The main beach is very long and very shallow. Never a danger. But the canal where the boats travel is completely different. Maybe at that age, 12 and 14, they wandered off with their friends, unaware of the difference in depth of the canal and the currents present there. It's a nice walk at low tide to the "islands" there. Maybe they stopped off for a swim on the way back.

[Suradit69]

""We had a picnic on the beach while the kids played with their friends in the water. An hour later, the friends ran back in a panic to tell me my kids were drowning," said Mr Wisut."

Only an hour unsupervised.... no need to blame the parents - they were busy having a celebration picnic.

"...no need to blame the parents - they were busy having a celebration picnic."

When you were 14 did your parents keep a minute-by-minute surveillance on you?

And now do you sit by the computer ready to rush forward to point the finger of blame? No matter how tragic some event may be, you can be sure some Thai Visa poster will turn it into a sick joke or use it as an opportunity to make some condescending comment. Give it a rest.

I expect the parents, family, and friends feel bad enough without your insensitive comments that suggest the parents were indifferent to their children's well-being.

Edited January 11, 2015 by Suradit69

[Tatsujin]

""We had a picnic on the beach while the kids played with their friends in the water. An hour later, the friends ran back in a panic to tell me my kids were drowning," said Mr Wisut."

Only an hour unsupervised.... no need to blame the parents - they were busy having a celebration picnic.

"...no need to blame the parents - they were busy having a celebration picnic."

When you were 14 did your parents keep a minute-by-minute surveillance on you?

And now do you sit by the computer ready to rush forward to point the finger of blame? No matter how tragic some event may be, you can be sure some Thai Visa poster will turn it into a sick joke or use it as an opportunity to make some condescending comment. Give it a rest.

I expect the parents, family, and friends feel bad enough without your insensitive comments that suggest the parents were indifferent to their children's well-being.

Not sure I'd call it indifference, merely a complete incomprehension of any dangers that are around.

Having saved 3 x children here in Thailand from drowning myself over the years I've been here, whilst the parents were sat around chatting and drinking with their friends/family and not once keeping an eye on their children and what they are doing, it does seem to be an attitude that is common. Out of sight, out of mind is what it looks like to me.

I know I personally wouldn't let my kids, whatever age they are, go more than 10 minutes out of sight without checking up on them at some point and giving them some very clear instructions on what and where they can go. Especially in an area where they already KNOW it's dangerous to swim.

[Bakeman]

Very sad.

R.I.P.

[billd766]

""We had a picnic on the beach while the kids played with their friends in the water. An hour later, the friends ran back in a panic to tell me my kids were drowning," said Mr Wisut."

Only an hour unsupervised.... no need to blame the parents - they were busy having a celebration picnic.

"...no need to blame the parents - they were busy having a celebration picnic."

When you were 14 did your parents keep a minute-by-minute surveillance on you?

And now do you sit by the computer ready to rush forward to point the finger of blame? No matter how tragic some event may be, you can be sure some Thai Visa poster will turn it into a sick joke or use it as an opportunity to make some condescending comment. Give it a rest.

I expect the parents, family, and friends feel bad enough without your insensitive comments that suggest the parents were indifferent to their children's well-being.

When I was 14 I used to go to the beach sometimes on my own, sometimes with friends. The beach was 5 miles from where I lived and, no, I couldn't swim very well. Where were my Mum and Dad, at home naturally. We used to go out as kids of 10, 11 or 12 and ask Mum what time lunch was which was a waste of time really as none of had a watch but we all had a stomach alarm that went off when we were hungry.

We would start out playing somewhere and maybe go to the park a mile or so away or prehaps into the town a mile away in a different direction.

I am sure that my parents used to worry but in the UK in the 1950s it was quite normal.

You cannot keep an eye on your children for every minute 24/7 and if you try they will also try to do their own thing.

The tragic thing about this case is NOT that their parents were keeping an eye out for them but that NO other parents saw what was happening until too late.

My son is only 10 and I have no idea how I would feel if I lost him but if some numpty on a compuetr made remarkd like that to me I would not be a happy person at all.

The parents have lost 2 children from their family in tragic circumstances and I can only say how sad I am for them.

Children are irreplaceable.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

I know I personally wouldn't let my kids, whatever age they are, go more than 10 minutes out of sight without checking up on them at some point and giving them some very clear instructions on what and where they can go. Especially in an area where they already KNOW it's dangerous to swim.

Can easily drown in 5 minutes, seems you are negligent with your children (by your own admission).

Can't watch them all the time, hard to watch them some of the time, when you look away is when sh_it happens.

Sad for the kids, sad for the parents.

[Tatsujin]

I know I personally wouldn't let my kids, whatever age they are, go more than 10 minutes out of sight without checking up on them at some point and giving them some very clear instructions on what and where they can go. Especially in an area where they already KNOW it's dangerous to swim.

Can easily drown in 5 minutes, seems you are negligent with your children (by your own admission).

Can't watch them all the time, hard to watch them some of the time, when you look away is when sh_it happens.

Sad for the kids, sad for the parents.

As you say, you can't watch them all the time ... however in Thailand it's a case of NONE of the time, neither do they instill within their children any sense of danger or consequences which I would also do with my children.

Yes, it is very sad, but also so very easily preventable in most cases.

[samsensam]

Brother and sister. The parents will be devastated. No need to pile on them. The parents paid a high price. The children paid the ultimate price. Sad Sad.

er, no, sad though it is the parents are to blame. who takes a 14 year old and 12 year old to a public place and allows them to play unsupervised for an hour especially near open water?!

every day i see parents riding with babies and small children on their motorcycles with no safely equipment. they have absolutely no regard for the safely or life of their children and the fact that no other thai citizen calls them on this is a national disgrace. oh the much applauded 'thainess'!

children's day should be an opportunity to promote the safely and well being of children.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Brother and sister. The parents will be devastated. No need to pile on them. The parents paid a high price. The children paid the ultimate price. Sad Sad.

er, no, sad though it is the parents are to blame. who takes a 14 year old and 12 year old to a public place and allows them to play unsupervised for an hour especially near open water?!

every day i see parents riding with babies and small children on their motorcycles with no safely equipment. they have absolutely no regard for the safely or life of their children and the fact that no other thai citizen calls them on this is a national disgrace. oh the much applauded 'thainess'!

children's day should be an opportunity to promote the safely and well being of children.

Just not true,

In the USA I would go to the beach swimming on my own or with friends from age 11 and up.

It was entirely normal. We would also go out all day on our bicycles.

Hell, I cycled 7Km to school and back on my own, every day, from age 11.

The western world has changed, in my opinion, for the worse.

[meatboy]

what a sad day,recuers say many tourists drown in this area,dont that explain it all.

wonder if there is any warning signs saying so.

more than likely its the thai way LET IT HAPPEN FIRST.

provention is better than cure.

[Rhys]

RIP... support swimming programs..

[maidee]

if they would teach CPR in stead of 12 principals in school, they would still be alive