SURAT THANI: The body of a forest patrol team member who went missing after his boat struck a stump near the Ratchaprapha dam was found on Saturday.
Thanakorn Chana-aksorn, who was with the Khlong Ya forest protection unit, was believed to have suffered head injuries from the impact of the crash and subsequently drowned in the incident on Friday night.
Forestry officials, rescue workers and divers found his body in the water about 20 metres from shore in the Khlong Suan area at 11.15am on Saturday. His body was taken to Ban Ta Khun Hospital for an autopsy.
Warit Mairiang, a colleague, said he and Thanakorn had taken separate boats to conduct a patrol in Khlong Ya at the dam on Friday evening. Thanakorn was behind him when they set out, but about seven kilometres into the journey, Mr Warit said he looked back and could not see the light of Thanakorn’s boat.
He drove back and found Thanakorn’s boat near where it appeared to have hit a stump, and immediately alerted others to begin a search for his colleague.
