NARATHIWAT: Members of the Southern Marine Task Forces on Sunday found the body of a 6-year-boy who drowned, along with his aunt who tried to rescue him, off Narathat beach in Muang district on Saturday.
The aunt, Patcharee Khamni-aran, 40, took six-year-old Pattadon Lekmat and his elder sister Ornicha, 7, to go swimming off Narathat beach on Saturday afternoon.
The sea was reportedly quite rough, and after a short period several people in the area shouted to the aunt that Pattanadon and Ornicha were about to drown.
Ms Patcharee rushed into the sea and managed to take Ornicha to safety on the beach, where she was given first-aid treatment.
The aunt then plunged back in to try to rescue Pattadon, but she drowned amidst the strong winds and high waves while Pattadon disappeared from sight.
Rescuers later recovered Ms Patcharee's body, which was brought to Wat Khok Ko in tambon Todeng, Sungai Padi district, for a funeral.
The body of Pattadon was found on Sunday afternoon almost 24 hours later. It was sent to Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Hospital in Muang district for an autopsy before being released for a religious ceremony at the same temple.
After searching into Saturday evening, a team of rescuers from the Southern Marine Task Force, supported by navy divers in rubber boats, resumed the search at 9am on Sunday.
