KHON KAEN: A man drowned in the Phong River in Nam Phong district while fishing with a friend from the same village early on Sunday, police said.
He was identified as Samai Khamphuengklang, 54, of Non Phayom village in tambon Muang Wan.
Boonthan Lakan told the police that the incident occurred at about 5am while he and Samai each went out on a boat in the Phong River to cast fishing nets.
Boonthan said while he and Samai were a distance apart, he heard the noise of something falling into the water. He looked in Samai's direction and saw only his hat floating in the river.
He called for help from nearby villagers. They scoured the area for about two hours and found Samai's body about 100 metres from where he fell into the water, which was flowing rapidly.
Boonthan suspected Samai might have been hit from above by a tree branch while casting the fishing net.
Pol Capt Chanchai Namwongsa, a Nam Phong police investigator, said the body would be sent to Nam Phong Hospital for an autopsy.