Thap Lan Park officer dies unexpectedly during forest patrol

A tragedy struck Thap Lan National Park when one of the park officers unexpectedly collapsed and died while on a forest patrol. Despite efforts from his colleagues to revive him, he did not regain consciousness.

The incident occurred yesterday, November 5, and emergency services received a report at 3.30pm for urgent assistance. Warawan, serving as a forest protection officer, was part of a patrol team operating in the inner areas of the park, located near the Lam Plai Mat dam in Nakhon Ratchasima province.

Reports indicate that the distance and terrain were significant obstacles to reaching the park officer, 40 year old Warawan Anchuen. The rescue team had to travel by boat across the reservoir and then trek nearly 5 kilometres through dense forest, which took over three hours. By the time they reached him, Warawan had already passed away, despite continuous CPR efforts from his team members.

Head of Thap Lan National Park, Prawat Chanthatep, has mobilised more than 40 officers in collaboration with Hook 31 Rescue Team in Nakhon Ratchasima to retrieve Warawan’s body and bring him back to his family. The challenging landscape, which features steep hills and dense forests, complicates the retrieval process.

Warawan was a tall and physically strong man, standing over 180 centimetres and weighing more than 90 kilogrammes, adding further difficulty to the task. As of 10.30pm, the team had only managed to move the body halfway from the site.

Decade-long career

Warawan, also known as Nokthai, began his career in forest protection about 10 years ago as a contract worker at Thap Lan National Park. He later secured a government position at the Prachinburi Fire Control Station in 2020, before transferring back to Thap Lan as a forest protection officer in 2022. He served diligently in the patrol unit of the 4th management zone (Lam Plai Mat) until his untimely death during a routine operation.

Katavut Kanyama, head of the 4th management zone of Thap Lan National Park, reported that the patrol team, which included researchers from Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Research Station, had been deployed at 10am to monitor wildlife in the park. By 3.30pm, the distress signal was received indicating that Warawan had collapsed. Attempts were made to coordinate with emergency services and secure a boat for medical personnel to reach him. Unfortunately, by the time they arrived, Warawan had already passed away.

Warawan’s niece shared that he was a healthy individual with no known medical conditions. Before leaving for work, he had kissed his wife goodbye, saying, “I’m off to work now.” His wife was concerned but never imagined it would be their last farewell, reported KhaoSod.