Thai actress Nida Patcharaweeraphong has died aged 37 after falling from a speedboat while on a restaurant trip with friends.
Nida was heading to a restaurant with friends when she fell into the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok on February 24.
She would have been sitting at the back of the boat, but it is not known how she fell.
The speedboat searched for Nida for 20 minutes after her buddies noticed she was missing, but then decided to call local authorities, who sent a team of 30 divers to search the area.
Nida’s brother Dais Dejjab joined the search and rescue mission and reportedly spotted “something floating” in the water, which was later identified as the Thai actress.
He said: “The pain everyone in the family is going through is unbearable. We loved our sister so much and she brought us so much happiness.
“I want to thank everyone for their efforts. I came to take her home now.
Nida’s distraught mother, Panida Siriyuthyothin, said her daughter was a good swimmer and could not believe what had happened.
She said: “Before that night she disappeared, I suddenly thought of her. I wanted to call him. When I heard the news, I couldn’t believe it. I still hoped it wasn’t her.
Doctors who performed an autopsy on Nida confirmed that she had died of drowning and found a deep gash on her left leg which may have been caused by the boat’s propeller.
Nonthaburi Station Police Chief Major General Paisarn Wongwatcharamongkol said the owner of the speedboat could face charges for allegedly operating the vessel with an expired licence.
He told local reporters: “We found out the speedboat had an expired license and the person who was driving it at the time of Nida’s crash also didn’t have a driver’s licence.
“Both could be charged with causing death by negligence, but no formal charges have been filed.”
The owners of the speedboat, Tanupat Lerttaweewit, and the driver, identified as “Bert”, were questioned by the police.
Nida’s body has been returned to her family and funeral arrangements are said to be underway.
This article originally appeared on The Sun and has been reproduced here with permission.
