Lopburi: The body of a paramotor pilot was recovered after crashing into the Pa Sak Chonlasit Dam, where it became submerged in 8 meters of water. The tragic incident was part of a series of crashes involving three paramotors at the dam, attributed to turbulent weather conditions and strong winds that made controlling the parachutes extremely difficult.
According to Thai News Agency, the incident occurred late yesterday evening when Phatthananikhom Police Station received a report from Mr. Yothin Meesilp, a security guard at the dam. Three paramotors had crashed near the area, with the first two pilots suffering minor injuries after crashing near the dam and behind the embankment. However, the third paramotor, piloted by 59-year-old Mr. Boonsri Thapenbun, crashed into the water, leaving him missing.
Emergency services, including the Phatthananikhom Police Station, local leaders, volunteers from the Ruam Katanyu Foundation, and a water search and rescue team, quickly mobilized to search for Mr. Boonsri amidst continuous rainfall. They found his body submerged in water around 8 meters deep at approximately 8:00 PM and successfully retrieved it.
Anan Kaewwichien, one of the pilots involved in the incident, shared that he and two friends had taken off from their home in Ban Tha Rit around 4:30 PM. While flying near the dam, a sudden strong gust of wind hit them. Anan managed to steer his parachute to shore, landing near the dam, while another parachute crashed behind it. Tragically, he witnessed Boonsri's paramotor crash into the water and saw him struggle to swim to shore before drowning less than 10 minutes later. Anan noted that despite their decade-long experience in paramotoring, the accident was an unfortunate result of the strong winds.