A Dutch man was found drowned in a pond in Krabi’s Muang district on Tuesday morning, while his pet dog was found waiting at the water’s edge, police said.
The body of Sharles Haarlemmermeer, 84, was spotted by local villagers, who alerted the Muang police station at 8am.
The water-retaining pond of the Krabi branch of the Provincial Water Authority is about one kilometre away from the house the Dutch man lived in with his Thai wife, Pikul Srisomjit.
The pond holds raw water that is used to make tap water.
Police said the man might have accidentally fallen into the pond while walking on its edge, or perhaps fainted and fell due to the heat. A large canvas covered the edges and bottom of the pond, and police believe Haarlemmermeer was unable to climb up because of the material’s slippery edge.
Pikul said her husband left home at 4pm for a daily walk with his American Shepherd dog. She sought help from a local foundation to search for her husband after he did not return home before nightfall. About 20 rescuers and villagers searched for the elderly man for several hours in vain and called off the search late at night.
The body was sent for autopsy at Krabi Hospital.
