Rowboat Splits in Half During Traditional Competition in Phetchabun, No Injuries Reported

Phetchabun —

A rowboat split in half during a traditional competition in Phetchabun. Luckily, no injuries or casualties were reported.

On October 15th, 2023, the Phetchabun local media reported that during an upstream traditional rowing competition at Wat Bost Chanaman Pier, Mueang, Phetchabun, one of the rowboats split in half.

Luckily, no injuries or casualties were reported, and an event organizer announced the cancellation of the competition.

In the event, the water in the Pasak River had high rapids which blasted away a rowboat “Luk Saao Sornphet”. As a result, the rowboat was split in half, and oarsmen on board struggled to swim to the shore. Rescue boats rushed to rescue the competitors by blocking and pushing the rowboat from crashing into nearby bridge piers.

However, with the high rapids, the rescue team could not stop the rowboat from being blasted away more than one kilometer from the event. The audience attempted to throw life jackets for the oarsmen from both sides of the river.

Mr. Karan Thongmee, a 57-year-old witness, revealed to the Phetchabun local media that a similar incident had occurred before on September 20th, 2016, when he was one of the competitors in an upstream traditional rowing event. During a training session at night, there were two casualties.

Luckily, the incident on October 15th, 2023, occurred in the daytime so that the rescue team could act in time.