Oarsmen safely rescued after their boat sinks
Nineteen oarsmen taking part in a rowing competition were rescued after their boat hit a bridge post and sank in the fast-flowing Pasak River in Phetchabun province on Sunday.
The race, which saw two teams rowing upstream amid the swift torrent, was part of the “Um Phra Dam Dam” annual river procession at Wat Bot Chanaman in Muang district.
The ceremony is an iconic tradition of Phetchabun, where a Buddha image is carried and submerged in the Pasak River in a religious ceremony believed to bring rainfall for the next cultivation season.
The festival on Sunday attracted hundreds of both Thais and foreign visitors, who were shocked after seeing the Luk Sao Sorn Phet boat lose control as it was passing under the bridge, before hitting the post.
The impact threw the coxswain into the river, while the boat itself broke in half and quickly sank.
According to witnesses, the rescue boat was unable to reach the wreckage due to strong currents, prompting spectators to throw life jackets to the rowers instead to help them stay afloat.
All 18 oarsmen and the coxswain later swam back to shore safely, while the wreckage of their boat was later salvaged at a banana plantation about 1 km. downstream.
The organiser cancelled the remainder of the event, fearing that the fast-flowing river would cause further tragedy.
A similar accident occurred in 2016 while the crew of the Manee Saichon boat were practising for the rowing competition ahead of the festival. Two of the oarsmen drowned after their boat sank.
