A night of heartbreak ended in tragedy when a 21 year old university student leapt into a canal and drowned after losing his savings to online gambling.
The harrowing incident unfolded yesterday, July 4, in Buriram municipality. Police Lieutenant Suphot Tukkraok was alerted to the drowning and immediately coordinated with the Buriram rescue diving team to search for the young man.
At the scene, the student’s distraught girlfriend was inconsolable. She sat sobbing beside a black T-shirt left on the bank—proof he had been there moments before disappearing. A female friend tried in vain to comfort her.
After 45 tense minutes, rescue divers discovered the student’s body submerged 5 metres beneath the murky water. He was later identified as Choo, a 21 year old resident of Mueang district and a university student.
Witnesses described the desperate final moments. Thirty-eight year old security guard Amnuay was on duty nearby when he heard frantic cries for help.
“I rushed over and saw a young woman screaming and crying,” Amnuay said. “She said her boyfriend had jumped into the canal and vanished. She had already tried twice to pull him out but couldn’t reach him.”
Choo was found wearing only jeans and sneakers. Police confirmed there were no signs of assault or foul play.
Through tears, Choo’s girlfriend recounted how the tragedy had begun. She and Choo had returned from a night out, but he was consumed by anxiety over his financial losses.
“He told me he’d lost over 7,000 baht on online slot games,” she said. “He was really stressed and blaming himself.”
As they walked by the canal, she tried to reassure him, urging him not to gamble any more and telling him it wasn’t the end of the world.
“I wasn’t harsh. I was just trying to calm him down,” she said.
But in a moment she could never have anticipated, Choo suddenly stopped speaking, stood up and leapt into the dark water, reported KhaoSod.
Despite his girlfriend’s desperate attempts to drag him back to safety, she could not save Choo.
Police urged young people to seek help if they feel overwhelmed by gambling debts, reminding the public that support is available before tragedy strikes.
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