The incident occurred at a section of the canal behind the Thalang branch of the TOT in Moo 1, Thepkrasattri, yesterday afternoon.
Police were alerted to the situation by a group of men who had been fishing nearby and who had attempted to rescue the striken man. Pol Lt Col Sin Saichit, deputy police chief at Thalang Police Station, and fellow officers were joined at the scene by workers from the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation, Muang Mai Branch, where a large group of local villagers had gathered.
A witness account from 21-year-old Sukhum Sanguankaew, who was at the same location fishing with five friends, recounted that he saw a man attempting to cast a net into the water not far from where he and his friends were situated.
When he glanced again, Mr Sukham noticed that the man had disappeared and assumed he had fallen into the water. Mr Sukham and his friends then took to the water in an attempt to retrieve the man but were unable to locate him which is when they then raised the alarm to the authorities for help.
Officers opened a drainage dam to allow the water levels to recede somewhat before beginning the search which lasted over an hour.
The body of the man was finally discovered in an area of the canal heavy with overhanging trees and where a number of fallen trees had amassed before being brought back onto land and announced dead at the scene. The body was then taken to Thalang Hospital for further examination and to determine the exact cause of death.
One early possible cause suggested was that the man had suffered cramps or some sort of seizure as he cast the net which saw him tumble into the water and render him unable to save himself from drowning although the official cause has yet to be confirmed.
Police later confirmed the victim as 32-year-old Chakkraphat Deechaichan, a ceiling technician originally from Sisaket Province. They confirmed that they have informed Mr Chakkraphat’s family who will take his body for religious service after the post-mortem has been completed by doctors at Thalang Hospital.