Crane operator found dead at Ayutthaya construction site

A tragic incident unfolded yesterday when a 41 year old crane operator was discovered dead atop a crane, standing over 20 metres tall, at a construction site in Ayutthaya province. His colleagues noticed his absence during lunch, prompting the search.

Police Lieutenant Saknarit Rattanaphan from Bang Sai Police Station received the report about the death on the crane located in a warehouse in Khlong Chang, Bang Sai district. Upon arrival, officers, in coordination with Ruamkatanyu Foundation volunteers, found a large crane with a crane control room above.

Inside, the body of 41 year old Suriya Magoon, was found. He was a crane operator from Khon Kaen province, wearing a red T-shirt and trousers that had slipped to his knees, said a co-worker, who immediately informed the police.

“Suriya went up to work in the crane in the morning. By afternoon, when the work was done, he hadn’t come down. By evening, his absence became worrying, and his colleagues climbed up to check, only to find him deceased.”

Nannapas, Suriya’s wife, mentioned that her husband had ridden his motorcycle from their residence in the Rama 9 area of Bangkok to work at the site. She stated that Suriya had no pre-existing health conditions.

However, on November 17, his wife revealed her husband was involved in a motorcycle accident on a slippery road, which resulted in chest and head impacts, although he was wearing a helmet.

“I was shocked when I got the call about his death and rushed to the scene immediately.”

The crane’s height necessitated climbing a ladder to ascend, making the removal of Suriya’s body for examination a complex operation. The Ruamkatanyu Foundation’s rope-access team, based at their headquarters, was contacted. They installed a pulley system, placed the deceased in a stretcher, and carefully lowered the body to the ground, reported KhaoSod.

Preliminary examinations revealed no signs of struggle or foul play. The police have entrusted the Ruamkatanyu Foundation’s team to transport the body to the Institute of Forensic Science under the Ministry of Justice in Pathum Thani for a thorough autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. Once the examination is complete, the body will be returned to the family for religious rites.