Woman, 72, Drowns in Home Water Tank at Night
A 72-year-old woman drowned in a water tank outside her home in Chachoengsao after slipping on algae-covered edges during the night; her husband found her the next morning after searching for her.
A heartbreaking tragedy struck when a 72-year-old woman slipped and drowned in a water tank outside her home in the middle of the night, with no one witnessing the fatal accident. Her grief-stricken husband, 69, walked toward her body and tearfully said, "Let's go to the temple together, mother," leaving neighbors deeply moved.
Police in Muang Chachoengsao District received the report at 8:30 a.m. on August 5, 2026, and rushed to the scene with rescue units and a medical examiner from Buddhaso Hospital. Inside the water tank, which was covered with algae, they found the woman face-down in the water. One black sandal lay on the tank's edge, and a stick of incense placed by relatives was nearby. The husband stood weeping with profound sadness. Officers brought the body up for preliminary examination, and during this time the husband approached his wife's body and said, "Let's go to the temple together, mother," a moment that deeply affected the neighbors.
The husband disclosed that they had spent life together for many decades. He last saw his wife around 11 p.m. the night before, when he went inside to sleep while she remained outside. In the middle of the night, when he noticed she still had not come inside, he assumed she had gone to sleep at her sister's nearby house, as she occasionally did. Later, when he went to check at the sister's house and did not find her, he searched around the home with relatives until his grandson spotted her sandal in the water tank and saw her head floating beneath the algae-covered surface. She could not swim and likely slipped on the slippery algae when she came out and fell into the tank.
Village headman Chalermsai stated that the couple were long-time residents with no history of conflict. The deceased regularly washed dishes in that area. The night before, after heavy rain, the ground and tank edges were wet and covered with algae, so the woman likely slipped and fell into the water tank unseen by anyone.
Initial examination by the medical examiner found no signs of trauma or abnormalities, and the death was classified as an accident. The body was handed to Chachoengsao rescue workers and taken to Wat Ratsongcharoen Maneruddhi for religious rites at the family's request. Throughout the somber proceedings, the husband wept continuously, mourning the loss of his life partner of many decades.
