On Friday morning, tragedy struck in Chaiya district of a southern province when a 49-year-old Polish man leapt from a cellular tower, resulting in his demise.
Upon receiving reports of a distressed individual climbing the tower near Highway 41, approximately 100 meters from the Chaiya intersection in tambon Wiang, police and rescue teams swiftly responded. Pol Capt Danai Chanklan, deputy investigation chief at the Chaiya police station, received the alert around 10 am.
Upon arrival, authorities found the shirtless man perched cross-legged near the tower’s summit. Despite efforts from police, rescue personnel, and concerned locals to coax him down, the man remained resolute, giving no indication of descending. Air cushions were readied below as a precaution.
Despite pleas for over two hours and the intervention of monks from the Suan Mokkh International Hermitage and language instructors, the man tragically jumped roughly 20 meters to the ground, amidst horrified onlookers.
Authorities have chosen not to disclose the man’s identity pending notification of his next of kin.
A subsequent police inquiry revealed that the Polish man had been engaged in meditation at the hermitage for approximately three days before his mental state deteriorated. Brandishing a wooden baton, he breached a local property’s perimeter before scaling the adjacent tower.
His remains were transported to Surat Thani Hospital for a post-mortem examination, while police initiated investigations into the circumstances surrounding his untimely death.
(Photo: Supapong Chaolan)
