Man drowns in canal after footbridge slip in Samut Songkhram

A tragic accident occurred when a 51 year old man fell from a slippery footbridge into a canal and drowned. The incident took place in Samut Songkhram, where persistent rain had made the path treacherous.

Police and rescue personnel discovered Pairoj’s body floating in the Prak Mon Canal in Klong Khon today, July 28. The bridge, approximately 50 centimetres wide and 5 metres long, with railings only knee-high, spans the canal where the accident happened.

Rungnapa, a 51 year old neighbour of the deceased, recounted the events. Pairoj’s wife had been searching for him when Rungnapa noticed what looked like a person lying in the canal.

Upon closer inspection, she realised it was Pairoj, face down and unresponsive, near the roots of a mangrove tree. She promptly notified the police to investigate the scene, Rungnapa said.

“I think Pairoj must have slipped and fallen from the bridge,”

Rungnapa recalled that over 10 years ago, Pairoj often joked with neighbours that if he were to die, he would prefer it to be near his home. Unfortunately, this statement turned into a sad reality.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Pairoj had a history of hypertension. As a prominent shrimp farm owner with over 100 rai (approximately 160,000 square metres) of land, he had faced substantial challenges due to an outbreak of blackchin tilapia in his ponds.

This issue had driven him to explore new methods for aquaculture. The footbridge was a routine part of his commute between his house and his shrimp farms, reported KhaoSod.

Continuous rainfall had made the bridge perilously slippery. Given the low height of the railings, it is suspected that Pairoj may have lost his footing and fallen into the water. The police have sent Pairoj’s body for an initial autopsy at Somdet Phra Phutthaloetla Hospital to determine the precise cause of death.