69-Year-Old Landowner Killed When Backhoe Flips Into Canal
A 69-year-old landowner died after his backhoe overturned and fell into a canal while clearing debris on his property in Bang Pa-In, Ayutthaya. Rescue teams took over six hours to recover the body from the submerged vehicle. Preliminary police investigation indicates the ground may have given way, causing the accident.
Tragic! A 69-year-old landowner driving a backhoe to clear debris overturned and fell into a canal, drowning. Rescuers spent more than six hours recovering the body.
At 9:00 p.m. on October 16, 2026, Lieutenant Pacharaphol Thammasub, deputy investigator of Bang Pa-In Police Station in Ayutthaya Province, received a report of a person trapped in a submerged backhoe on an empty plot of land about 50 rai in size, Moo 3, Sam Ruean Sub-district, Bang Pa-In District, Ayutthaya. He coordinated with the Putthaisawan Foundation rescue team and equipment to inspect and assist.
The scene was in the middle of a rice field with scattered wood, debris, and concrete left for landfill. Nearby, a canal held the submerged backhoe. Officials rushed to search and plan to lift the vehicle from the water, assuming the driver was trapped inside the cab.
Relatives, including 43-year-old Sunimit (surname withheld), reported that the landowner, Wichian (surname withheld), 69, routinely operated the backhoe himself to clear debris and level the ground from morning until evening. On the day of the accident, he did not return home at his usual time, prompting his son to search and discover the backhoe missing from the work area.
Investigators found the backhoe’s tracks ending at the canal’s edge, indicating it likely flipped into the water.
The Putthaisawan Foundation team attempted to lift the backhoe from the canal, but the operation was difficult because the vehicle was stuck in water and mud. They brought in a second backhoe to move surrounding debris and used a sling attached to the vehicle to pull it up until the driver’s cabin emerged above water, allowing them to retrieve the victim’s body. Rescue workers spent over six hours on the operation before they could extract Wichian from the cab.
Preliminary assessments suggest that while Wichian was driving the backhoe near the canal’s edge, the ground may have given way, causing the vehicle to lose stability, flip into the water, and sink, leading to his drowning. However, authorities said they need to conduct further investigation to determine the exact cause.
