Officials searching for a missing British tourist, who fell into the Ratchaprapha Reservoir in the Ban Ta Khun district of Surat Thani, are using sonar equipment as they search for the man.
It’s understood the search is being carried out under challenging conditions, including extremely low visibility, due to the water in the area being very murky at this time.
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The missing man has been named as 24 year old Mr Gowribalan Shanghaman, who went kayaking with a friend on the morning of February 11, 2024. His friend subsequently returned to shore sometime later, reporting that Mr Shanghaman had fallen in the water.
While the search continues, officials now believe it’s unlikely the British kayaker survived. His friends say he was not wearing a lifejacket and it’s understood he had paddled out onto the reservoir without permission from rangers at Khao Sok National Park.
Mr Shanghaman fell into the water around 500 metres from Khao Soi Pier. Four divers spent all of Sunday searching for him unsuccessfully, hampered by extremely cold water temperature and very low visibility.
Khaosod English reports that sonar equipment has now been brought in from Mangkorn Chonburi Rescue Team, which specialises in underwater search operations.
At a meeting to discuss the search operation, it was agreed the search operation will concentrate on the area around 500 metres from Khao Soi Pier, where Mr Shanghaman entered the water. The water is understood to be around 42 metres deep in that area and searchers will operate during the sun’s brightest hours, so as to maximise visibility.
SOURCE: Khaosod English
