A 58-year-old man lost his life in a tragic accident after a lawnmower blade broke off and struck his leg while he was working in a rice field in Bang Pa Han district, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province. The fatal incident occurred on March 14 but was reported the following day.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Piyapong Sirichanyatham from Bang Pa Han Police Station, along with a doctor from Bang Pa Han Hospital and rescue personnel from the Ayutthaya Ruam Jai Association, responded to the distressing scene.
The deceased, identified as Cherdchai, had left his home at 4 p.m. on March 14 to trim the tops of rice plants, a process aimed at promoting growth and reducing weeds before fertilization. When he failed to return home, worried family members began searching for him. They found his motorcycle parked at the entrance of the field and soon after discovered his lifeless body.
Cherdchai was lying face down in the rice field in Bang Saothong subdistrict, a broken lawnmower blade embedded in his left thigh. A significant amount of blood surrounded him, and the damaged lawnmower lay nearby. Authorities suspect that the blade severed a major artery, leading to fatal blood loss, as no one was present to provide immediate assistance.
The tragedy was made even more heartbreaking by the fact that March 15 was supposed to be Cherdchai’s 59th birthday. His children, who live in other provinces, were on their way to celebrate with him, only to be met with devastating news.
Police collected evidence, including the broken blade and the lawnmower, for further investigation. Due to the remote location of the field, rescuers faced challenges in retrieving the body. They had to carry it on a stretcher for over two kilometers along narrow field paths before reaching an accessible area.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by agricultural workers and the importance of equipment maintenance and safety precautions.
