British tourist, 24, is found dead after falling into reservoir while kayaking with friends in Thailand
- Shanghaman Gowribalan, 24, was kayaking with a friend at the Rajjaprabha Dam
A British tourist who is believed to have fallen into a reservoir during a kayaking trip in Thailand has been found dead after a three-day search.
Shanghaman Gowribalan, 24, went out on the water with friends on the Rajjaprabha Dam in Surat Thani, southern Thailand, at around 9am on Sunday.
The backpacker is said to have plunged into the deepest part of the reservoir, around 500 metres away from the Kraisorn Raft House where he was staying, and could not swim to safety.
His two panicked friends raised the alarm shortly after and tried to direct rescue teams to the spot where he had disappeared.
Scuba divers – including Danish specialist Ivan Karadzic who was also involved in the Tham Luang cave rescue in 2018 – searched the lake with sonar before Mr Gowribalan's body surfaced this morning.
British tourist Shanghaman Gowribalan, 24 (right), reportedly fell into the deepest part of the reservoir, around 500 metres away from the Kraisorn Raft House
Scuba divers had been searching the lake for three days before the tourist's body was found
Police Lieutenant Kongyuth Noomuan, who is overseeing the case, said: 'The body of the tourist was found this morning.
'We believe it was an accident and he drowned because he was not experienced with rowing and was not a good swimmer.'
Local rescue teams had been joined by specialist scuba divers from neighbouring regions of Thailand. Sonar was also used to try and locate the Briton's body.
Officers claim that Mr Gowribalan took the kayak out without registering it with staff at the national park. They said that he was not wearing a life jacket.
Worapote Lomlim, the local park director, said on Monday: 'Initial investigations suggest that the two tourists may have violated park regulations. In order to take a kayak out for paddling, you must register first to receive a paddle and life jacket from the staff.
A friend of Mr Gowribalan with Thai police during the search operation
Friends of Mr Gowribalan with Thai police at the Rajjaprabha Dam reservoir
'No registration was found. We believe the two tourists left early in the morning without wearing life jackets. Therefore, the head of the Khao Sok National Park will be investigating the facts.'
A spokesman for the Khao Sok National Park, the sprawling area of forest in which the lake is found, added: 'The body of the missing person was found washed ashore near his accommodation, prompting the park staff and rescue team to collaborate in transporting the body to the pier at 9.30AM, where the inquiry officer and doctor were waiting to perform an autopsy.
'The body was then taken to Ban Ta Khun Hospital, while his relatives have been contacted to inform them about the discovery.'
The search operation was temporarily suspended on Sunday over safety concerns for rescue teams due to the dam's depth, cold temperature, and turbidity, before being resumed the next day.
Rescue teams searched for the British tourist after he went missing on Sunday
Scuba divers were deployed to search the waters, but the operation was temporarily suspended over safety concerns due to the dam's depth
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