Navy Recon Trainee Killed by Fish

A portrait of Kriangsak Pengpanich is shown at his funeral Thursday.

BANGKOK — A naval Special Forces cadet died in a freak accident while training off the coast of Trat province, the navy said Thursday.

Kriangsak Pengpanich, 22, was swimming Wednesday in the open sea when a carnivorous, shallow-water fish struck him in the neck at high speed, the navy said in a statement. Kriangsak, who served in the marine corps, was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The cadet was undergoing a 60-hour training course to join the Recons, an elite amphibious unit operating under the Navy when he was struck by the needlefish.

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A photo released by the navy shows a seaman posing with the needlefish. Image: Wassana Nanuam / Facebook
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Although needlefish are not naturally aggressive toward humans, there have been rare cases of fatal encounters, usually involving children.

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Marine ecologist Thon Thamrongnawasawat posted online that it’s the first time he had heard of an attack by needlefish in Thailand.

A funeral for Kriangsak will be held through Tuesday in the Sattahip district of Chonburi province.