A British teenager has died in a horrific accident at a water park in Thailand. Nathan Clark Griffiths, 14, was dragged into its pumping system as he tried to retrieve swimming goggles from the bottom of a pool. Yesterday his distraught family claimed park staff ignored their frantic pleas for help because they thought the family were joking.
Nathan was at the Pattaya Park Hotel pool, 85 miles east of Bangkok on a day out with his brother Rhys, 15, father Jim Clark and stepmum. Nathan's swimming goggles had fallen through a grille at the bottom of the pool. He told his brother that he was going to look for them. Rhys said: "I wish I had stopped him."
It is thought Nathan lifted the grille but that was the last time he was seen alive. After he disappeared his father dived in to look for his son but was unable to find him. Nathan's family claimed it took over half an hour for the staff at the resort to react to their desperate pleas for help. When lifeguards finally opened a water gate in the resort's pump room, they saw Nathan's lifeless body floating face down.
Jim, 48, who works for the international tunnel construction company Robbins, said: "The guards did nothing for 30 minutes. They would not believe us when we explained what had happened. "When I finally forced them to do something they went to the pump room, opened a hatch and my son's body came out. I was distraught. Jim went on: "The park has offered compensation. It's not something I want to even think about at the moment. This is not about money."
The family, who came from the Isle of Man, had been enjoying a day out at the resort. Jim has a Thai wife, who he met in Britain, and they were holidaying in Thailand before the family moved to New Delhi, India, where Jim is due to start a new job. The boys had only recently said goodbye to their schoolfriends in Douglas. Distraught Rhys wrote of the tragedy on his web blog: "The life guard said that we shouldn't play jokes like this and dismissed us.
"My stepmum was begging them to check the pipes. They argued and said it was impossible as the grille was locked. "After a full 30 minutes they agreed to check the pipes. While they were looking I went to the ticket-booth to make an announcement asking if anyone had seen him. "As I made my way down the stairs to the main pool, I suddenly heard my father shout 'No!' and then at the same time my stepmother started screaming."
