
A Thai tour guide lost his life after drowning in a flood while leading a group of 21 visitors through the restricted Nam Talu cave, where eight other tourists had previously died under similar circumstances.
The whole group of 21 tourists managed to come out of the cave in a timely manner after finding themselves trapped inside the cave with the heavy flash flood coming their way. However, the 37-year-old guide, Pongyot Kerddee, lost his footing and slipped – and the incoming water pushed him deep into the cave.
After learning about the incident, park rangers came to rescue the tourists, and all of them were taken to a safe location.
The dead body of Kerddee, who recently got married, was later found inside the cave. Another tour guide, Kraiprachak Jansatem, suffered from a hip injury, while a couple of tourists also faced minor strains, which were treated at a nearby hospital. Meanwhile at least two injured tourists declined to go to the hospital.
The unfortunate incident happened in the Surat Thani Province of Thailand, and its Governor announced to provide all the operational and logistical support to carry out the rescue operation while hinting at potential against the tour company that violated laws to take the group inside the restricted cave.
Reportedly, the cave was restricted due to the possibility of seasonal floods from June to November, but it still remains unclear how such a large group managed to enter the area.
This is not the first time that heavy flooding has killed tourists in this cave. Back in 2007, eight tourists died at the same place while battling against the violent water currents. Helena Carroll, whose fiance also lost his life while saving her, was the only survivor of that incident.
After recovering, Helena stated that they were well inside the cave when she first looked at the flood coming towards them. According to Helena, the water took a whole family of four, the tour guide, and another German boy with it while she and her fiance tried to come out of the cave. Her fiance, John Cullen, was also eventually drowned in the water when he tried to find his way out of the cave.