SONGKHLA: A lifeguard lost consciousness and died on the way to hospital after taking part in a search for a 10-year-old girl who went missing off Chalathat beach in Muang district on Saturday afternoon.
Pol Lt Prayuth Boonyapatham, a duty officer at Muang police station, said a team of lifeguards from the Muang Songkhla Municipality were dispatched to Chalathat beach, a popular tourist spot, after being alerted at about 2pm that a 10-year-old girl had gone missing.
They were joined in the search for the girl by rescuers from a Hat Yai-based charity foundation and sailors from the Songkhla naval base.
During the search, Sathaporn Mingsuk, 36, a lifeguard, lost consciousness. He was brought ashore and rushed to Songkhla Hospital by his colleagues. He died on the way to the hospital.
The search for the missing girl continued for about five hours, but to no avail.
The missing girl was identified as Aranya Buakhieo. She had come to the beach with her mother, Ms Boonruang, an adult relative and two other girls.
Ms Boonruang said she allowed Aranya to go out swimming in the sea with the two other girls because the waves were not high when they arrived.
After a while, however, the waves became stronger and higher. Aranya was swept away by the waves and went missing. The two other girls managed to reach the shore.