Irish tourist falls dead from train ‘while trying to take a selfie’ on ‘death railway’ in Thailand
- Patrick Ward, a 45-year-old Irishman, fell from a moving train in Thailand
- Mr Ward fell off the train after leaning out of the carriage to take pictures
- Rescue workers tried to resuscitate him for half an hour, but their efforts were in vain
An Irish tourist fell to his death after leaning out of a moving train Thailand to take pictures, police said.
The man was identified as 45-year-old Patrick Ward, whose passport said he was born in New Zealand but also has Irish nationality.
His current whereabouts were not immediately known, but he traveled to Thailand on a tourist visa yesterday on December 26.
Clearly, Mr. Ward leaned out of the moving train to take holiday snaps of his travels. Local media reported that he tried to take a selfie before falling.
A tourist in the area filmed the surrounding scenery and then captured Mr Ward falling from the train. Pictured: A sampling of footage before Mr Ward fell off a train in western Thailand on Dec. 27
Police said Ward traveled by train with a tour group from Bangkok’s capital to the city of Kanchanaburi on Tuesday, where the bridge over the River Kwai is located, made famous in the film about the railway built by forced laborers under Japanese occupation in the WWII.
The railway is known as the ‘death railway’ and connects Thailand and Burma.
After a brief stop, Mr. Ward’s group continued to Sai Yok Waterfall, another popular tourist destination.
Police Major Kiatisak Kerdchok of the Sai Yok Police Department said that, according to witnesses, when the train slowed down at a scenic spot, Ward opened a door in the carriage and fell 7 to 8 meters from a ramp.
A tourist in the area filmed the surrounding scenery and then captured Mr Ward falling from the train.
Images show how the Irishman fell out of the carriage on his back.
Rescue workers and emergency services rushed to the spot where he had fallen. Unable to gain access to the area where he now lay, they were forced to assemble a pulley system to lower themselves to reach him.
Thai police said when rescuers reached him, Mr Ward was barely breathing and his arm and neck were broken.
Rescuers and emergency services rushed to where Mr Ward had fallen. Unable to access the area where he now lay, they were forced to assemble a pulley system to lower themselves to reach him
The emergency services spent half an hour resuscitating him, but were unable to save him.
After the incident, a police official did not confirm reports in Thai media that Ward was trying to take a selfie when the accident happened just before noon.
They went on to say that Mr Ward’s body was found at the scene with wounds, but none that indicated foul play.
Kiatisak said a full autopsy would be conducted in Bangkok on Wednesday, and fellow members of the tour group would be questioned.
Police officials said they would contact the New Zealand Embassy in Thailand and hand over custody of the body for burial.