NAKHON PHANOM: The ashes of ex-Seal Saman Gunan, who died in the operation to rescue the 12 Wild Boar Academy football players and their coach from Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai province, were scattered in the Mekong River in a ceremony on Sunday morning.
The ceremony was held in the middle of the Mekong River in front of the Indochina Market in Nakhon Phanom Municipality, and was chaired by Nakhon Phanom governor Somchai Witdamrong.
Eleven young Moo Paa Academy footballers and the coach, who were all ordained into the monkhood last week in Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district, were present at the ceremony.
Mrs Waleeporn, wife of the late ex-Seal member Saman, and her relatives were also at the ceremony.
The 11 Wild Boars, their coach, Mrs Waleeporn and her relatives were all taken in a Mekong Riverine Unit boat to the middle of the Mekong River, where Lt Cdr Saman's ashes were scattered according to local tradition.
Mrs Waleeporn said she chose the Mekong River as the site for scattering the ashes because her late husband loved the river and she herself is a native of Nakhon Phanom. Moreover, the town is where she and Lt Cdr Saman first met 15 years ago, she said.
The ceremony was watched from the bank by a large number of people.
Lt Cdr Saman passed out and died while diving as part of the part of the rescue operation in the cave on June 6.
