PHETCHABUN – A dramatic rescue unfolded as Sawang Mongkol Sattha rescue workers braved strong currents to save a group of boys. The boys had gone to see the floodwaters in Lom Sak, and while cutting across a field on their way home, they did not spot a hidden canal.
Swift waters swept them away for several hundred metres. Fortunately, they managed to cling to a devil tree. One of the boys then swam downstream to find help for his three friends. Thanks to his effort, all of them were safely rescued.
Mr Prachit Sukwattana, President of the Sawang Mongkol Sattha Association in Phetchabun, shared that on the afternoon of 1 September 2025, while his team was delivering food and drinks to flood victims in Tan Diao, Lom Sak District, they were alerted by locals.
Three boys were seen stranded in the middle of a flooded paddy field, clinging to a tree. The team quickly set out in a small boat to help.
Reaching the scene proved challenging due to the strong current. The team found three boys, drenched and clinging to a devil tree, visibly scared and shaken. They calmed the boys and brought them safely back to their families.
Initial enquiries revealed the group consisted of four boys. They had walked from home to view the floods in Lom Sak town. On their way back, they took a shortcut across a field behind Sirin Christian School toward Na Luang village, unaware of a canal in their path. Swept by the water, all four latched onto tree branches.
One of the boys made the brave decision to swim with the current and reach the residents, asking for help. Rescue teams soon arrived by boat. The water in the area was between 1.5 and 2 metres deep. Luckily, the boy who swam for help had good swimming skills, which allowed him to reach others and get assistance.
Mr Prachit also shared an incident from the night before. While surveying floodwaters in Lom Sak town, he spotted a mother dog carrying her puppy through the rising water. Looking frightened, she seemed to be searching for a safe spot after her home flooded. He lifted both into the boat and took them to dry land. Once safe, the mother dog picked up her pup and disappeared into the woods.
Flooding in Phetchabun
Phetchabun, a province in Northern Thailand, has seen its most severe floods in more than ten years. Rising water from the Pa Sak River and heavy downpours from what was left of Tropical Storm Nongfa led to widespread damage. Lom Sak, Lom Kao, and Nam Nao districts were hit the hardest, with floodwaters climbing up to a metre in some parts.
Streets, government offices, local markets, and 11 communities in Lom Sak found themselves underwater. Five schools had to shut, and thousands found their daily routines disrupted. In Lom Kao, about 500 homes in Tatkloi and Sila subdistricts were flooded, leading emergency teams to help move children, older people, and others to safety.
Phetchabun’s governor, Saranyu Meethongkham, warned people living near the Pa Sak River to move their valuables to higher ground as water levels edged closer to Muang district. Officials readied 5,000 sandbags to help stave off more damage. The Thai Meteorological Department predicted continued heavy rain, leading to fresh worries about how long the water would last.
This crisis is part of a pattern in northern Thailand since mid-August, affecting 44 provinces, with 52 people reported dead and almost 800,000 feeling the impact by October 2024. Local teams now work on both quick relief and long-term fixes to better handle the risk of future floods.
