A tragic incident unfolded in Venice when a British tourist, just hours after arriving in the renowned Italian city, drowned in a canal after being initially mistaken for a marine animal. Catchawan Thongpia, a 31-year-old surfer from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, was discovered unresponsive in the water.
Tragic Discovery in Venetian Waterway
Mr. Thongpia was found floating in the Rio de Santa Marina in November. A member of the public, Giorgio Savardine, initially believed the figure in the water to be a dolphin, a creature that had reportedly been sighted in the lagoon days prior. “It was dark so I was thinking about the dolphin that was seen some days before in the lagoon,” Mr. Savardine stated in a deposition. “After approximately one minute of considering that the current was carrying it towards me, I realised it was a human body.”
Mr. Savardine attempted to alert Mr. Thongpia and sought assistance, but realized the individual was unconscious and unresponsive. He described attempting to cling to bridge bars to reach the body while other bystanders contacted emergency services. Emergency responders eventually retrieved Mr. Thongpia from the canal, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigation into Circumstances
An inquest held in Northallerton heard that the precise circumstances leading to Mr. Thongpia entering the canal remain unclear. Italian police are operating under the theory that he may have accidentally fallen into the water. Surveillance footage reportedly shows Mr. Thongpia leaning against railings at the canal’s edge shortly before he vanished from the camera’s view.
North Yorkshire coroner Catherine Devereux noted that official reports indicated no evidence of third-party involvement or suspicious activity. “Police reports confirmed there to be no third-party involvement or suspicious circumstances and indicate Mr. Thongpia may have leant against a railing present at the location and accidentally fallen in,” Ms. Devereux stated. She added, “It remains the case however that no one actually witnessed how Mr. Thongpia came to be in the canal that evening.”
Final Verdict
Mr. Thongpia had been on a five-day trip to Venice with his girlfriend and had reportedly left their hotel for a cigarette when the incident occurred. A post-mortem examination revealed that Mr. Thongpia died from “violent mechanical asphyxia due to drowning.” Following the inquest, the coroner recorded an open conclusion into his death.
