TOURIST PLUNGES TO HER DEATH AT WATERFALL AFTER LOSING BALANCE

A tourist has died after losing her balance and falling more than 10 metres at a waterfall while taking photographs during a trip with friends.

The tragic incident happened at Kwang Tone Waterfall in Thailand’s Pha Taem National Park on September 18, leaving rescuers facing a difficult operation through rugged forest terrain.

The woman, identified as 48-year-old Wanwisa from Songkhla province, had travelled with a group of friends when the accident happened.

SHE HAD WALKED DOWN TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS

According to people who were travelling with her, Wanwisa had gone towards the second tier of the waterfall to take photographs.

She was part of a group of 14 friends who had travelled from Bangkok.

The group had reportedly visited the area before and did not request a park guide for the trip.

At around 4pm on September 18, park officials alerted Khong Chiam police after receiving news that a woman had fallen at the waterfall.

Initial information indicated that she had slipped while photographing the falls and fallen over the edge to a lower level.

The drop was reported to be more than 10 metres.

RESCUERS FACED A DIFFICULT JOURNEY

Park staff and rescue volunteers immediately began making their way towards the accident site.

The location was not easily accessible.

Rescuers had to travel approximately three kilometres along a natural forest trail before reaching the woman.

The journey took more than two hours.

By the time rescuers reached Wanwisa, she had no vital signs.

Emergency workers attempted CPR at the scene, but they were unable to revive her.

HER BODY WAS CARRIED OUT AFTER DARK

Recovering Wanwisa from the waterfall presented another major challenge.

The difficult terrain meant that rescuers had to carry her body along the forest route.

The operation continued into the evening, with rescuers eventually reaching the road after darkness had fallen.

Her body was then transported for a post-mortem examination at the forensic unit of Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital in Ubon Ratchathani.

Police contacted her family following the accident.

Her relatives later collected her body and arranged funeral rites.

A TRIP WITH FRIENDS ENDS IN TRAGEDY

The accident has left the group of friends who travelled with Wanwisa facing a devastating end to their trip.

According to the group leader, they had visited the area several times before.

There is no indication in the reports that the group expected anything unusual when Wanwisa walked towards the waterfall to take photographs.

Within minutes, however, a routine sightseeing stop had become a fatal emergency.

The circumstances reported so far point to an accidental fall.

Authorities have not indicated that the death was suspicious.

WATERFALLS CAN BECOME DANGEROUS PHOTO SPOTS

The tragedy is another reminder of the risks faced by visitors around waterfalls and other natural attractions.

Wet rocks, uneven ground, steep drops and rapidly changing conditions can make areas around waterfalls particularly dangerous, even for experienced visitors.

The danger can be difficult to judge from photographs, especially when visitors move closer to an edge to obtain a better view.

In Wanwisa’s case, she had reportedly walked down to photograph the waterfall when she lost her balance and fell.

A TRAGIC END TO A HOLIDAY

What began as a trip with friends ended with a desperate rescue operation and the loss of a 48-year-old woman.

Rescuers spent hours navigating difficult terrain to reach her and later faced the equally challenging task of carrying her body back through the forest.

Her death has now been referred for forensic examination, while her family has begun the painful process of arranging her funeral.

For the friends who travelled with her, the memory of the trip will now be forever connected to the moment a photograph at a beautiful waterfall turned into a tragedy.

The incident also serves as a stark reminder that natural beauty can conceal serious hazards — particularly around steep, wet and unprotected edges.