PHATTHALUNG: A man and his wife drowned after going into the water to save their daughter and son from drowning at a dyke in Khao Chai Son district of this southern province on Sunday.
Pol Lt Col Klao Polnui, a Khao Chai Son police chief investigator, said the incident occurred at about 5pm at the dyke across a stream near Moo 3 village in tambon Khuan Khanun.
According to witnesses, Teerawut Phaosen, 38, his wife Piyanut, 38, their daughter Kewarin, 10, and son Phumpat, 8, and Supaporn Makkawan, 40, Piyanut's elder sister, came in a car to the dyke.
Ms Supaporn and the two children then went down to the top of the dyke and played in the running water.
Soon after that the three accidentally slipped down the slope of the dyke into the water below. Teerawut and Piyanut, as well as some other people on the bank of the stream, jumped into the stream to rescue them.
They managed to bring the three out of the water to safety, but Teerawut and Piyanut had disappeared.
Police and a rescue unit soon arrived. They scoured the stream in a search for the pair. They were found drowned some distance from the dyke about three hours later.