CHIANG MAI — 15 August 2026, A sudden flash flood swept a tourist away while several visitors were swimming at Mae Sa Waterfall in Mae Rim district prompting park officials and fellow tourists to rush to the rescue.
The incident occurred at around 15:00 at Mae Sa Waterfall, which is under the jurisdiction of Doi Suthep-Pui National Park in Chiang Mai province.
A tourist captured the dramatic incident on video and later posted it on Facebook under the name “Arttie Martin.” The post described how the tourist was about to take off their shoes and walk toward the middle of the waterfall to take photos with a foreign visitor when they heard a park official blow a whistle.
“Just a split second between life and death. I was about to take off my shoes and walk toward the middle, following the foreign guy to take photos of the waterfall, when I heard the official blow a whistle. What happened next was exactly as you can see. It happened so fast,” the post said.
Park officials at the scene immediately rushed to help tourists who had been caught in the strong current. A male tourist also joined the rescue effort to help a woman who had been swept away.
Most of those in the area were foreign tourists. As the victims were carried downstream by the rushing water, other visitors who had remained out of the water were heard shouting for help in alarm.
Officials and fellow foreign tourists managed to rescue those caught in the current. They then checked the area to determine whether anyone else was missing.
Authorities subsequently put up red flags and ropes around Mae Sa Waterfall and prohibited visitors from entering the water due to the dangerous conditions.
Doi Suthep-Pui National Park later reported that one tourist had been swept away by the current and suffered pain and dizziness. Officials coordinated with Mae Rim Municipality to take the tourist to a hospital for medical examination and treatment.