Retired football coach drowns in municipal pond in central Thailand

A retired football coach tragically lost his life in an accident during an exercise routine in Nakhon Pathom. The incident occurred when he suddenly felt dizzy and fell into a municipal water storage pond.

Witnessed by locals, the incident occurred around 7am today. Officers from the Nakhon Pathom Police Station, along with officials from the Nakhon Pathom Municipality Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, quickly responded to the accident.

The water storage pond, where the unfortunate event occurred, is about 1.3 kilometres in circumference, equating to around 90 acres. Before the search for the body began, a candlelight vigil was held at the scene.

Approximately six divers took about 10 minutes to locate the body of the retired football coach, known as Reungdet or Coach Billy. Having retired from teaching, Reungdet had turned his passion for football into a free coaching programme for children. His body, clothed in a yellow shirt and red trousers, showed no signs of injury or assault.

Vuttichai Trongsong, a 28 year old police officer from Police Region 7, was exercising with his partner at the time and was among the first to respond.

He saw a couple sitting near the edge of the bridge and heard a splash. After spotting a hat and face mask floating in the water, Vuttichai immediately jumped into the water, along with another local, in an attempt to save the retired football coach. However, despite their efforts, they were unable to retrieve his body due to the depth of the water.

Eye witness

Visanu Phakimuk, a taxi driver, was also at the scene. The 47 year old cabbie was exercising nearby when he witnessed the incident, approximately 300 metres away from the location. Despite having reached the body, Visanu could not pull the body up due to the lack of necessary equipment.

The victim’s wife, 65 year old Jandee, was devastated upon recognising her husband’s body. She stated that they usually exercised together every morning, but on the day of the accident, she had decided to return home to cook.

She was waiting for her husband when she heard about the drowning incident. Preliminary suspicion is that the retired football coach may have felt dizzy and collapsed into the water, reported Khaosod.

The Nakhon Pathom municipal water storage pond is a popular spot for locals to exercise in the mornings and evenings. It spans an area of more than 90 acres and has a running path of about 1.3 kilometres around its circumference.

The area where the incident took place is directly in front of a low-pressure water pump station. A sign warning of the dangers and prohibiting entry is displayed prominently in front of the station, the source of drinking water distributed to the residents of Nakhon Pathom municipality.

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