PRACHIN BURI: A contracted park ranger has drowned crossing a canal while monitoring animals using a wildlife corridor over a major highway.
Thap Lan National Park chief Prawatsart Chanthep said Wissanu Kluanmuangpak was swept downstream on Tuesday while swimming across Klong Lamphayatharn in Na Di district. The 28-year-old was found unconscious by rescuers. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation failed to revive him.
Wissanu and three other rangers were patrolling animal trails leading to the wildlife corridor above Highway 304. His partners swam across the 20-metre-wide canal ahead of him. Wissanu could not make it across.
The park chief said he might have suffered cramp, or just been exhausted by the effort.
"The park will be responsible for helping his family, because he died on duty," he added.
The deceased ranger's family was travelling from Nakhon Ratchasima to take his body home from Na Di Hospital for funeral rites.