Hero ex-Seal’s ashes scattered in Mekong

NAKHON PHANOM: The ashes of ex-Seal Saman Gunan, who died in the operation to rescue the 12 Wild Boars football players and their coach from Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai province, were scattered in the Mekong River in a ceremony yesterday.

The ceremony was held in the middle of the river in front of the Indochina Market in Nakhon Phanom municipality, and was chaired by Nakhon Phanom governor Somchai Witdamrong.

Eleven young Moo Paa Academy footballers and their coach, who were ordained into the monkhood last week in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district, were present at the ceremony.

Mrs Waleeporn, wife of the late exSeal member Saman, and her relatives were also there.

The 11 Wild Boars, their coach, Mrs Waleeporn and her relatives were taken in a Mekong Riverine Unit boat to the middle of the river, where Lt Cdr Saman’s ashes were scattered according to local tradition.

Mrs Waleeporn said she chose the river as the site to scatter her husband’s ashes because he loved the river and she herself is a native of Nakhon Phanom.

The town is where she and Lt Cdr Saman first met 15 years ago, she said.

The ceremony was watched from the bank by a large number of people.

The young footballers and their coach went missing in the cave on June 23 and were extracted from July 8-10. However, Lt Cdr Saman died on July 6 while attempting to resupply oxygen tanks in the cave.