Three Children Drown in Chao Phraya River During Swim

Nonthaburi: At 5:30 p.m. on September 28, Punthasaa Pattum, deputy investigation officer at Muang Nonthaburi Police Station, received a report that children had entered the water at the Chao Phraya River and three had gone missing. The incident occurred near Phu Pu Shrine Pier, Bang Ta Nao Sub-district, Muang District, Nonthaburi Province. Upon arriving at the scene with volunteers from the Po Tek Tung Foundation, officers found distraught family members and neighbors crying over the missing children.

The three missing children were identified as Otto, 11; Justin, 9; and Nai, 15. As rescue personnel conducted a search lasting more than 30 minutes, the first body was found, followed by the other two within an hour. When relatives learned all three bodies had been recovered, they broke down in tears, with some unable to control their emotions at the loss of their children.

When questioned, a 15-year-old boy stated that seven children had come to swim starting at 3:00 p.m. Initially the water flow was weak, but by 4:00 p.m. the current had strengthened significantly, causing three of the group to be swept away. He ran to seek help from nearby residents, but by then the three had already disappeared under the water.

Local residents reported they had seen the group swimming at the shrine pier two or three days earlier and had warned them not to swim because of the strong current. On the day of the incident, they again warned the children about the dangerous water before leaving for work. When they returned, they learned from another child that someone had drowned. Police and rescue teams were called to investigate.

After all three bodies were recovered, a doctor from the Institute of Forensic Medicine was contacted to conduct autopsies. The bodies were later transported to the institute for further examination.