Polish man falls to his death from 62-metre cell tower in Surat Thani

A Polish man jumped to his death from a 62-metre cell tower in the southern province of Surat Thani on Friday.

Chaiya Police Station officers were notified that a foreign man climbed to the top of a mobile phone tower in the Chaiya district of Surat Thani on Friday, April 19.

When they arrived, they found a crowd of people gathered and the authorities from a nearby district office came to persuade the man to climb down.

Residents in the vicinity alerted the police to the presence of a foreign man exhibiting aggressive behaviour whilst wielding a wooden stick along the road. Subsequently, he trespassed onto residents’ properties, causing damage, before ascending the tower.

Prior to the police’s arrival, a rescue team tried for over 30 minutes to persuade the man to come down but had no success.

The individual was later observed atop the tower, devoid of a shirt, unmoved and unresponsive to both authorities and locals attempting to engage him in conversation. In an attempt to establish communication, an English language teacher was summoned to the scene but the man remained unresponsive.

After sitting at the top of the tower motionless for over two hours, the man suddenly jumped. He was pronounced dead at the scene and was later identified as a 49 year old Polish national named Robert Czerniawski.

The motive behind his decision to commit suicide has not yet been determined. Officers stated that they would contact his family to deliver the tragic news.

A similar incident was reported earlier this month when a Thai woman climbed a cell tower in Pattaya due to stress over financial problems. Fortunately, a rescue team was able to persuade the woman to return to the ground.

If you or anyone you know is in emotional distress, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand 24-hour hotline: 02 713 6791 (English), 02 713 6793 (Thai), or the Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai). Please also contact your friends or relatives at this time if you have feelings of loneliness, stress, or depression. Seek help.