Teen Dies After Slipping Into Four-Meter Pool at Birthday Party
A 19-year-old drowned in a four-meter pool during a birthday party in Buriram after slipping on muddy ground while rinsing his shoes at 2 a.m. on September 22. Police suspect alcohol and wet conditions contributed to the incident.
Police in Pak Kam District, Buriram Province, responded at 3 a.m. on September 22 to a drowning report at a residential pool in Moo 4. Rescue teams from Suwang Jariyatham rescue center and the Non Din Daeng rescue association deployed divers to search the large pool. After approximately 20 minutes of underwater search, they recovered the body of Ratchananont (See), 19, with no initial signs of physical trauma.
According to witnesses at the scene, the birthday celebration had been underway since around 7 p.m., with a group of neighbors gathered in a pavilion near the pool to eat, drink, and socialize. Around 2 a.m., the victim was seen walking to the pool's edge to rinse mud from his shoes when he slipped and fell into the water. A younger friend immediately called out and attempted to grab his hand to pull him up, but the victim disappeared underwater before help could reach him. The incident was reported promptly to authorities. Police suspect the victim may have slipped due to muddy conditions at the pool's edge, compounded by alcohol consumption earlier in the evening.
The victim's mother, 46, disclosed that her son had recently completed his final examination in non-formal and informal education at secondary level the previous weekend. She had given him permission to attend the birthday party that evening. The homeowner, 53, noted that the pool is over four meters deep and the recent heavy rainfall had made the pool edge particularly slippery with mud. Police are continuing to investigate and interview witnesses to compile facts for legal procedures. The body has been sent for autopsy to determine the exact cause of death before being released to the family for religious rites.
