Teen drowns at popular waterfall in Uttaradit province
Beloved tourist site shadowed by sudden tragedy
A 14 year old student drowned at a well-known waterfall in Uttaradit province. Yesterday, May 24, at 5pm, Police Lieutenant Colonel Nareerath Apithanapimpimkul of Laplae Police Station was informed about a drowning incident at Mae Phun waterfall in Mueang, Laplae district.
Rescue volunteers from the Uttaradit Rescue Foundation were called to the scene, where a group of youths stood anxiously by the water’s edge. A diving team quickly located and retrieved the body of a boy wearing shorts but no shirt. Despite efforts to revive him, he could not be saved.
Initial police inquiries revealed that the deceased was 14 year old Ta, a secondary school student from a private school in Mueang district, Uttaradit province. Ta had gone to the waterfall with over 10 friends for a leisure trip, starting their activities at midday.
After stopping for lunch around 1.30pm, the group planned to leave but realised Ta was missing. They searched the waterfall area and the motorcycle parking spot but found no sign of him.
Adults were then asked to contact the police for assistance. While waiting, friends attempted to search the deep waters but were unsuccessful.
Only when the rescue divers arrived was Ta’s body discovered beneath the waterfall at their swimming spot. It is suspected that Ta suffered a cramp while playing, causing him to sink unnoticed by his friends, who were preoccupied with swimming. The time lapse before his absence was noticed and the prolongation underwater contributed to his tragic death, reported KhaoSod.
Journalists reported that after retrieving the body, relatives were informed. Sompong, Ta’s 69 year old grandfather, along with his grandmother and other relatives, arrived at the scene.
Upon seeing Ta’s body, they were overcome with grief, expressing their sorrow and praying over his body in a traditional gesture before taking him for funeral rites.
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