7-Year-Old Appears in Rescuer's Dream, Claims He Didn't Drown; Stepfather Responds Heatedly Over Crime Scene Investigation Timing

A 7-year-old boy appeared in a rescue worker's dream, asking for help and saying he did not drown, while pointing at someone. The stepfather strongly disputed accusations about his absence from the crime scene when the body was discovered, maintaining that he only asked about the time of death and does not believe it was murder.

On April 26, 2026, Nattiew, 7 years old, was found dead from drowning in a pond in the middle of a sugarcane field in Nong Kanonsima village, Ban Jan subdistrict, Ban Dung district, Udon Thani province, after disappearing from home for several days. Many people questioned whether the boy's drowning was genuine. Police sent the body for autopsy to determine the true cause of death.

Most recently, Nayapramouan, 44, the stepfather, told media that reports claimed he did not visit the scene because he was taking his wife to the hospital, as she had fainted. While at the hospital, rescue workers informed him they had found the boy. He was relieved and asked the rescuer how they found him. The rescuer replied, "Please don't make me say." He then asked the rescuer not to tell the boy's mother yet.

When asked by reporters if he inquired about the time of death during the ambulance ride, Nayapramouan admitted he did ask, saying he was simply curious about the time of death. He noted the body appeared bloated but had nothing else remarkable. However, he does not suspect murder and only wanted to know the time of death. He questioned why reporters claimed he didn't visit the scene, noting he was at the hospital and couldn't visit the location anyway.

Regarding claims that Nattiew was rude, Nayapramouan said this was true and the villagers confirm it—sometimes the boy spoke well, sometimes not. He said discipline involved only striking the legs, never the head. Regarding Nattiew appearing in the rescuer's dream saying, "Help me, I didn't drown," Nayapramouan said it's unclear, but questioned the motive for killing a child. What would be gained by murder—robbing a child or the child insulting someone? A small child has nothing to steal. If it were murder, why kill such a young child? He believes Nattiew likely wandered far while following a dog and was looking for crabs and fish.

Meanwhile, King, 17, a volunteer rescuer, said he visited the scene yesterday. However, last night he dreamed that the boy told him, "Help me, I didn't drown," while pointing at someone. King said he doesn't know who the person was because he couldn't remember faces in the dream.