A father died after letting go of a shaky makeshift buoy he and his kids had clung to after their boat capsized.

“He let go of the buoy, stayed afloat for just a while and then drowned in front of us,” Ratchanee Inpen, his wife, recounts what happened during the darkest time of her family.

Ratchanee’s husband, Komkrib Ketyim, 40, stopped holding on to the buoy after it clearly could not support the weight of three people.

“Our children can’t swim,” the mother told ASTV Manager, “I saw what he did but I could not rush in to help in time”.

Komkrib and Ratchanee, accompanied by their children aged 16 and eight years old, came to the mouth of the Bangpakong River with a tugboat for their work on Saturday but stormy weather threw water into the vessel, which began sinking fast around midnight.

“I tied two big buckets together with a rope to make a buoy that my children and my husband could cling to. But the rope soon slipped off, leaving them with just one bucket,” Ratchanee laments. She herself used a water container as a buoy.

Komkrib refused to hold on, after noticing that the one-bucket buoy would not be enough to save all three of them.

After Komkrib drowned, his family members had floated in the water for six hours before a fishing trawler rescued them.

Relevant authorities have already contacted Komkrib’s employer so that his family can receive help. Searches for his body are now ongoing.

Sacrificed his life for his family. That shows the depth of his love for them.

May he rest in piece.

May he rest in peace. He was a great man to give his life for his family.

What a sad story and my conflicting feelings on this incident are summed up by the two previous posts.

A noble act of sacrifice but a little forethought could have potentially made this unneccesary.

RiP but put his family in grave danger

I am now teaching my Thai wife to swim. I told her if our daughter falls into

the water, she will have two choices. Jump in the water and drown together,

or stand and watch her daughter drown. She understands perfectly now about

the need to learn. The fact that 1200 Thai children die a year from drowning

is truly sad. Teach them to read and write , and teach them to swim.......

I salute this father, as that is what I would have done if I could not swim.

I am now teaching my Thai wife to swim. I told her if our daughter falls into

the water, she will have two choices. Jump in the water and drown together,

or stand and watch her daughter drown. She understands perfectly now about

the need to learn. The fact that 1200 Thai children die a year from drowning

is truly sad. Teach them to read and write , and teach them to swim.......

I salute this father, as that is what I would have done if I could not swim.

and, more importantly, teach them to take responsibility and if going boating buy a lifejacket

Rest in peace to a man who loved his family and was devoted enough to sacrifice his life for them. So by all means, lets criticize his poor education and economic conditions which lead the the tragic circumstances...thats the right thing to do at this point in time...

Rest in peace to a man who loved his family and was devoted enough to sacrifice his life for them. So by all means, lets criticize his poor education and economic conditions which lead the the tragic circumstances...thats the right thing to do at this point in time...

I think most honour his final devotion.. But stress that it shouldn't have happened in the first place. The guys employers should have ensured life jackets as standard.. 500b each!

Bless him.

Rest in peace.

May he rest in peace. He was a great man to give his life for his family.

what kind of a man puts his family in such a potentially dangerous situation in the first place?

going out in a boat with no life jackets is reckless, going out in a boat without life jackets when you cant swim is plain stupid. with all due respect.

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Rest in peace to a man who loved his family and was devoted enough to sacrifice his life for them. So by all means, lets criticize his poor education and economic conditions which lead the the tragic circumstances...thats the right thing to do at this point in time...

I think most honour his final devotion.. But stress that it shouldn't have happened in the first place. The guys employers should have ensured life jackets as standard.. 500b each!

sigh

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Rest in peace to a man who loved his family and was devoted enough to sacrifice his life for them. So by all means, lets criticize his poor education and economic conditions which lead the the tragic circumstances...thats the right thing to do at this point in time...

I think most honour his final devotion.. But stress that it shouldn't have happened in the first place. The guys employers should have ensured life jackets as standard.. 500b each!

sigh

No. Not sigh... If just one person LEARNS from his sacrifice then it's a better world. Just last week the Thai newspapers and news was talking about child deaths in water!

I have no idea what heroism involves drowning in front of your own kids. A heroic act would include the saviour of the children without giving them a nightmare memory to live with for the rest of their lives.

I don't give into the Thainess of not being able to swim through circumstance of lack of education. There are rivers, lakes, khlongs available everywhere for all to learn to swim, despite a weak education system that does not make it mandatory to swim. Not learning to swim is as real as the Thai 'there's a ghost in the village'.

It's not heroic at all. It is utterly irresponsible.

Think the government could do more instilling safety thinking in the populous. Ads on tv would really help. Road safety would be a good start.

Think the government could do more instilling safety thinking in the populous. Ads on tv would really help. Road safety would be a good start.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaBoPFVh1fA

Still 40 years behind here? The West is not my friend!

I have no idea what heroism involves drowning in front of your own kids. A heroic act would include the saviour of the children without giving them a nightmare memory to live with for the rest of their lives.

I don't give into the Thainess of not being able to swim through circumstance of lack of education. There are rivers, lakes, khlongs available everywhere for all to learn to swim, despite a weak education system that does not make it mandatory to swim. Not learning to swim is as real as the Thai 'there's a ghost in the village'.

It's not heroic at all. It is utterly irresponsible.

Yeah he should of swan in that river with a power current to die somewhere more convenient

Seriously read your post back, a man sacrifices his life to save that of his family and you have the absolute gall to criticize! You should be utterly ashamed of yourself.

R.I.P. that man.

I have no idea what heroism involves drowning in front of your own kids. A heroic act would include the saviour of the children without giving them a nightmare memory to live with for the rest of their lives.

I don't give into the Thainess of not being able to swim through circumstance of lack of education. There are rivers, lakes, khlongs available everywhere for all to learn to swim, despite a weak education system that does not make it mandatory to swim. Not learning to swim is as real as the Thai 'there's a ghost in the village'.

It's not heroic at all. It is utterly irresponsible.

Yeah he should of swan in that river with a power current to die somewhere more convenient

Seriously read your post back, a man sacrifices his life to save that of his family and you have the absolute gall to criticize! You should be utterly ashamed of yourself.

R.I.P. that man.

Ashamed of what? The truth?

Read your post back about a power current to die somewhere more conveniently [sic].

How do you know he deliberately left the 'so-called raft' to save his kids. More like he was too <deleted> to hold on, and died because of his own inadequacies. Tell me more about how he was so heroic he pulled his kids to safety in a responsible manner. R.I.P. his death yes, but hero? Far from it!

Edited April 7, 201511 yr by Commerce

A post containing an oversized image has been removed as it messed up the formatting of this page.

I have no idea what heroism involves drowning in front of your own kids. A heroic act would include the saviour of the children without giving them a nightmare memory to live with for the rest of their lives.

I don't give into the Thainess of not being able to swim through circumstance of lack of education. There are rivers, lakes, khlongs available everywhere for all to learn to swim, despite a weak education system that does not make it mandatory to swim. Not learning to swim is as real as the Thai 'there's a ghost in the village'.

It's not heroic at all. It is utterly irresponsible.

Yeah he should of swan in that river with a power current to die somewhere more convenient

Seriously read your post back, a man sacrifices his life to save that of his family and you have the absolute gall to criticize! You should be utterly ashamed of yourself.

R.I.P. that man.

Ashamed of what? The truth?

Read your post back about a power current to die somewhere more conveniently [sic].

How do you know he deliberately left the 'so-called raft' to save his kids. More like he was too <deleted> to hold on, and died because of his own inadequacies. Tell me more about how he was so heroic he pulled his kids to safety in a responsible manner. R.I.P. his death yes, but hero? Far from it!

I think the account from his family that were you know, actually there, is pretty accurate rather than some skeptical idiot on the internet.

You are down talking a man that died saving his family, they are now fatherless and traumatized while you sit feeling all smug with yourself. Give yourself a few more pats on the back for feeling so superior, tell yourself you've earned it.

And pray that you are never in a life threatening situation like that one day (but of course you are probably superman and will save the day right?)

Edited April 7, 201511 yr by lildragon

I have no idea what heroism involves drowning in front of your own kids. A heroic act would include the saviour of the children without giving them a nightmare memory to live with for the rest of their lives.

I don't give into the Thainess of not being able to swim through circumstance of lack of education. There are rivers, lakes, khlongs available everywhere for all to learn to swim, despite a weak education system that does not make it mandatory to swim. Not learning to swim is as real as the Thai 'there's a ghost in the village'.

It's not heroic at all. It is utterly irresponsible.

Yeah he should of swan in that river with a power current to die somewhere more convenient

Seriously read your post back, a man sacrifices his life to save that of his family and you have the absolute gall to criticize! You should be utterly ashamed of yourself.

R.I.P. that man.

Ashamed of what? The truth?

Read your post back about a power current to die somewhere more conveniently [sic].

How do you know he deliberately left the 'so-called raft' to save his kids. More like he was too <deleted> to hold on, and died because of his own inadequacies. Tell me more about how he was so heroic he pulled his kids to safety in a responsible manner. R.I.P. his death yes, but hero? Far from it!

I think the account from his family that were you know, actually there, is pretty accurate rather than some skeptical idiot on the internet.

You are down talking a man that died saving his family, they are now fatherless and traumatized while you sit feeling all smug with yourself. Give yourself a few more pats on the back for feeling so superior, tell yourself you've earned it.

And pray that you are never in a life threatening situation like that one day (but of course you are probably superman and will save the day right?)

Pray, tell me how you know he died saving them? The first line clearly indicates all were 'clinging'. Do you really think somebody who can't swim has the time to make a rational decision as to whether or not a make-shift 'buoy' has the capacity to hold 2 or 3 person's weights? Get a grip! As for my being superman, you need to get logical.

Pray, tell me how you know he died saving them? The first line clearly indicates all were 'clinging'. Do you really think somebody who can't swim has the time to make a rational decision as to whether or not a make-shift 'buoy' has the capacity to hold 2 or 3 person's weights? Get a grip! As for my being superman, you need to get logical.

I agree who knows? he may have just slipped but that's not the point the point is he was irresponsible and paid the highest price. Hope others learn something from this tragedy (i.e. wear a life-vest)

I'm reminded of the story of the happy prince, by Oscar Wilde.....

Sacrificed his life for his family. That shows the depth of his love for them.

May he rest in piece.

Certainly one very dramatic example, along with numerous others that are less dramatic & tragic, to be used as a counterpoint to those who glibly disparage Thai husbands and fathers. Truly sad result following a heroic and selfless act.

Off topic posts and replies have been removed.

RIP

No life jackets and cannot swim

Took a bad risk and lost

RIP

You have to wonder if it is the mans nationality that counts against him with so many here calling him irresponsible etc. I wonder if it was a man of western origin would there be so much bile?

You have to wonder if it is the mans nationality that counts against him with so many here calling him irresponsible etc. I wonder if it was a man of western origin would there be so much bile?

I have a feeling if this were in my country, the comments would be far less restrained, especially from those who make their living on the water.

You guys who come here and attack the man for being on the water without proper safety equipment are just plain stupid and ignorant, A man dies and you degrade his actions before he died not his act of courage and devotion.

I sailed for many years . Raced and cruised. I have committeed for World Cup quaifiers with the same people that committee the olympics. I did the committee for CISM one year.I have seen men with years of being on the water in severe weather and sea conditions racing under extreme dangerous conditions. Many of these men couldnot swim and wore no lifejackets even though it was required. As soon as they left the docks off came the safety gear.I myself sailed singlehanded for years without a life jacket,I can swim 8 to 10 strokes and then stop. These guys arenot ignorant either many are leaders in their field or extremely rich business men not simple labourers.Get a grip guys the issue here is the man gave his life to save his family.To stray from that is to take away from how great a deed he did.