Elderly Man Drowns After Falling Into Canal While Cutting Wood

On October 28, 2026, the Sawang Vichithammasathan Pak Chong Rescue Foundation received a report of a missing man, approximately 68 years old, in a canal area at Ban Tha Luen Samakkhi, Nong Saeng Subdistrict, Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, since October 27. Rescue personnel mobilized and searched throughout the night but did not locate the missing person.

Relatives of the deceased, who lived next door, revealed that the man usually woke early each morning to sweep leaves around the house. On the morning of the incident, he was not seen, but they were not immediately concerned. Around 7:00 p.m. on October 27, relatives brought him food but could not find him in the house. They became suspicious and searched the surrounding area. During the search, they found signs of woodcutting, along with a knife and a hammer left at the canal's edge, but no sign of the man. They feared he had slipped into the water, as he had been preparing to cut wood to make a ladder for a Loy Krathong float. Relatives quickly notified the police and coordinated with the Sawang Vichithammasathan Pak Chong Rescue Foundation for an urgent search.

Rescue teams searched along the canal and nearby areas all night but did not find the body until around 4:00 p.m. on October 28, when they discovered the body floating and caught in a bamboo clump about two kilometers from the suspected fall point. They recovered the body from the water.

Initially, Pak Chong police coordinated with the rescue foundation to send the body to Pak Chong Nana Hospital for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death, and will proceed with further legal steps.

The incident serves as a warning to the public, especially the elderly who work or engage in activities near water sources, to exercise increased caution and avoid being alone in risky areas to prevent accidents and loss of life.