Body of missing Thai – Belgian tourist found in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand

Rescue teams have found the body of a Thai – Belgian tourist who went missing after a white water rafting accident in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, on Friday. The body of 30 year old Nicholas Hinckxt was found in the Mae Taeng River in Mae Taeng district at around 2pm yesterday, some 10 kilometres away from where his boat capsized.

The young man was thrown overboard into the fast-flowing river when his inflatable boat hit large boulders and capsized on Friday afternoon near Muang Kued village, sometime before 2pm.

The boat operator from Siam River Adventures threw a rope out to Nicholas but he was too far away to pull himself to safety and became separated from the group. His two Belgian friends were also on the boat at the time.

Local authorities closed the waterway to allow rescue teams to search for Nicholas on Friday. Chief of Mae Taeng district Chainarong Nantasai launched an operation involving locals, emergency services, and volunteers to try and find Nicholas but torrential rain, strong winds, currents, and cloudy water hindered their search over the weekend.

On Saturday, Nicholas’ Thai mother flew into Thailand from Belgium to help search for her son. However, that day, Nicholas’ life jacket and helmet were found downstream from the scene of the incident.

Nicholas, who worked as a computer programmer in Belgium, flew into Thailand on June 24 for a holiday with four friends and his wife.

Nicholas’ body was taken to a local hospital for an autopsy and will later be handed over to his family to undertake funeral arrangements.

The Royal Thai Police have launched an investigation into Nicholas’ tragic death.

In March, an Iranian tourist went missing after a white water rafting accident in Phang Nga province in southern Thailand. His body was found 2 kilometres downstream the next day.

SOURCE: MGR