Man dies while trying to rescue puppies in narrow dirt tunnel
A 65-year-old man in Chonburi, Thailand, was found dead in a narrow dirt tunnel after he allegedly attempted to rescue puppies.
Next to his body lay two dead newborn puppies. He was later identified as Wana Sae-li and was known as a dog lover.
Body found by his older brother
During the morning of Saturday (19 Sept), the deceased’s 75-year-old brother, Somsak Sae-li, who lived 20 metres away, visited his home to check on him but found that Mr Wana was absent.
Only his motorcycle was found parked there.
Source: Thairath
Unable to find him at his house or his workplace, Mr Somsak returned to Mr Wana’s house and began searching the surrounding area.
Spotting what looked like a human foot protruding from a dirt tunnel, he immediately called the police and rescuers.
Authorities dug the tunnel to retrieve his body
Authorities, including police officers, rescue officers, and a forensic team, responded to the dirt tunnel in a grassy area in Ban Noen Kruat, Nong Irun subdistrict, after receiving the report.
Source:
The opening of the dirt tunnel was about 60 centimetres wide.
Rescuers dug roughly 30 centimetres down and 1.5 metres horizontally to free the body, completing the 10-minute excavation.
The victim was found face down with arms outstretched next to two dead newborn puppies. No signs of assault were found.
Niece said victim was passionate dog lover
The victim’s niece revealed that he was an exceptionally passionate dog lover who consistently prioritised his pets’ well-being over his own.
“He was the kind of person who would go hungry just to ensure his dogs were well-fed, and he would search tirelessly whenever one went missing,” the niece shared.
The niece said she last saw her uncle at around 5pm on Friday. The next day, she noticed something was wrong and asked her father to look for him.
During several passes around the house, the niece noticed an object resembling a human foot protruding from a hollowed-out mound of earth.
“At first, I thought it was just an old shoe that the dogs had dug up and covered with dirt, so I didn’t think much of it,” she explained.
However, after returning to inspect the area more closely and using a stick to clear away the soil, she realised it was a human foot.
Shocked by the discovery, the family immediately contacted law enforcement and emergency services.
Crawled into tunnel to save puppies from drowning after heavy rain
Mr Pittaya Khongsri, a sub-district administrative organisation member, said the area experienced heavy rain that night.
Source: Khaosod
Mr Wanna is believed to have crawled into the tunnel to save the puppies from drowning, as he was concerned that rising rainwater would flood its subterranean hollow.
However, the wet soil collapsed on top of him, trapping him inside and causing him to suffocate.
He previously nursed stray dogs at his house
Officials discovered eight additional newborn puppies on Mr Wana’s property, protected by two female dogs with visibly swollen teats.
This showed that the victim had previously nursed puppies.
The site where he was trapped consisted of a sandy, waterlogged burrow adjacent to a drainage canal.
Police noted multiple hollows throughout the area where dogs had routinely dug into the soft earth for shelter.
Mr Wana’s family expressed no suspicion regarding the cause of death. His body was arranged to be transported to a hospital for a formal post-mortem examination before religious funeral rites.
Also read: Men in M’sia rescue injured dog stuck in flooded drain amid heavy rain
Men in M’sia rescue injured dog stuck in flooded drain amid heavy rain
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Featured image adapted from Khaosod and Thairath.
