SURAT THANI – Officials in Surat Thani province are still searching for Mr. Gowribalan Shanghaman, a 24-year-old British tourist who fell from a kayak into the Ratchaprapha Reservoir (Cheow Lan) in Khao Phang Subdistrict, Ban Ta Khun District, on the morning of February 11, 2024. They are using sonar to search the underwater area.
At this stage, officials believe he is unlikely to have survived.
Mr. Shanghaman’s foreign friends said he was not wearing a life jacket when he set off from Khao Soi Pier in a kayak. He paddled out without permission from the Khao Sok National Park rangers. A friend who kayaked with him said Mr Shanghaman fell into the water in the Klong Wang area, about 500 meters from the pier.
After searching the surface of the water all day Sunday, four divers from the Ban Chiew Lan community rescue team and rangers from Khao Sok National Park were unable to find Mr. Shanghaman.
The underwater search was hampered by the cold water temperature and murky water below the surface, making it impossible to see anything. Officials used sonar equipment from the Mangkorn Chonburi Rescue Team, which specializes in underwater search and rescue.
Officials held a meeting to discuss the search operation for the British tourist at the Missing Persons Search Center in the meeting room of Khao Sok National Park Tourist Service Center, Ban Chiew Lan Municipality Pier. The meeting was attended by Ban Ta Khun district chief, Khao Sok National Park chief, Tourist Assistance Center, Ban Ta Khun police station, tourist police, Khao Phang sub-district chief and rescue units.
At the meeting, a target was set for the search for Mr. Shanghaman, at the location with coordinates WGS 84 Zone 47P 0458220E 1003875N, about 500 meters from Khao Soi Pier. The water depth is about 42 meters. The search will be conducted during the hours of brightest sunlight to maximize visibility.
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