PATTAYA, Thailand – A 60-year-old woman drowned in a large pond in Pattaya late on May 23 while attempting to retrieve a fishing net, leaving her husband devastated after witnessing the tragedy unfold before his eyes. Emergency responders from the Sawang Boriboon received reports at approximately 8:40 p.m. of a missing person in a pond located along Nong Mai Kaen Road behind the anti-human trafficking and child protection center known locally as Baan Kru Ja in Nongprue, East Pattaya.
Water rescue teams equipped with diving gear rushed to the scene, where they found a large pond estimated to be around 40 to 60 meters wide and between three and five meters deep. Relatives and local residents gathered around the pond anxiously watching the rescue operation unfold amid an atmosphere of grief and concern. Authorities identified the missing woman as Jamnong Kunthasom, aged 60, who reportedly disappeared beneath the water near the center of the pond.
Rescue divers launched an underwater search using ropes and metal poles to scan the pond floor. After approximately 30 minutes, divers located the woman’s body underwater and brought her back to shore, where distraught relatives and her husband broke down in tears. The victim’s husband, In Satrupinat, 64, told police through tears that he and his wife had gone to the pond earlier in the evening to place fishing nets in the water. After setting the nets, the couple reportedly sat beside the pond drinking a small amount of alcohol while resting. At around 7 p.m., his wife entered the water to retrieve the fishing net while he remained sitting on the bank.
He said he later noticed his wife appearing exhausted while struggling to swim back toward shore. Despite trying to stay afloat, she slowly disappeared beneath the surface in front of him.
The husband immediately shouted for help from nearby villagers and contacted rescue workers, but responders were unable to save her in time. Investigators from Nongprue Police Station, together with a duty doctor, conducted a detailed examination of the scene and the victim’s body. Authorities are continuing to investigate the exact cause of death.
