Thailand: Teen golfer Aeyavarin ‘Aeya’ Pradubyart dies after struck by lightning during tournament
The 15-year-old was left unconscious after being struck while competing in a junior tournament.
A teenage sports star has died after being struck by lightning during a tournament.
Around 4pm on November 1, golfer Aeyavarin “Aeya” Pradubyart, 15, was hit by a lightning bolt while competing in Thailand’s Chachoengsao province.
A 31-year-old female golf caddie was also injured in the incident at Lotus Valley Golf Resort.
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CPR was performed on her until an ambulance arrived and the teenager was taken to Bang Nam Priao Hospital for treatment before being transferred to Buddhasothorn Hospital.
Her family said her heart had stopped for nearly an hour and she was critically injured.
Despite the best efforts of medical staff, the teenage golfer died on November 2 from her injuries, The Bangkok Post reported.
Her mother, Natcha, shared the heartbreaking news in a touching social media post.
“You were the bravest, my dearest Aeya,” a translation of the post read.
“Your heart stopped the moment you were struck by lightning for nearly an hour.
“You fought back 10 times over, enduring through the night just to wait for your father to fly back so you could say one final goodbye.
“Rest peacefully, my beloved child.”
A rising star
Pradubyart was a rising star who had won several golfing competitions.
In March, the teenager won the Junior Asian Tour’s girls’ Class B event.
After the dramatic play-off in the event, she was selected as a reserve junior golfer for Chonburi province.
She was due to compete in several other tournaments this year.
Tournament continued despite the weather
Questions have been raised by Pradubyart’s fmaily about why the tournament continued despite the weather.
The Nation reported that mum Natcha said lightning strikes struck pine trees beside the course around 3pm.
Despite this, the young golfers were told to continue playing by officials.
Grandmother Aphorn said Pradubyart was on the 11th hole when a third lightning strike hit.
Natcha said that a loud strike and rain prompted the tournament’s suspension, not knowing that her daughter had been struck by lightning.
She was told that her daughter was lying down, which she assumed meant in the rest shelter.
However, once the 49-year-old learned someone had been hit by lightning, she ran to find people administering first aid to her 15-year-old child.
She described her daughter as being red in the face and body and experiencing muscle spasms while she was in and out of consciousness.
Aphorn said her granddaughter had experiences burns to the right side of her head, body, arms, and legs.
Her cap was also torn by the incident, with her mother sharing a photo of it on social media.
In a statement shared by The Sun, organisers said they were “deeply saddened by the teenager’s death.
“Currently, the organising committee is working with the golf course to expedite the investigation and gather all the facts thoroughly in order to obtain the most accurate and clear information,” they said.
