Bodies of Thai students retrieve from US river

BANGKOK, Sept 2 (TNA) -- After more than a month of waiting by relatives and friends, the bodies of two Thai students have been retrieved from the Kings River in the United States, said a spokeswoman of Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry. Their bodies were retrieved from the river on Friday after more than 55 American rescue workers spent about 12 hours in the operation, the spokeswoman said. Rescue workers reached the car crash site by hanging themselves from a helicopter and used a 100-foot sling in pulling the car to the river bank. The rescue workers then retrieved the bodies of the students, she said. The ill-fated red sedan rented by the students of University of South Florida accidentally went through a guardrail and off a steep cliff more than 500 feet into the river on July 26. The bodies of 28-year-old Bhakapon Chairatnathrongporn and 24-year-old Thiwadee Saengsuriyarit were trapped inside the car. The delay in retrieving the bodies came after Fresno County Sheriff and the California Highway Patrol said the recovery operation could not carried out due to the poor weather condition and strong currents. The ministry spokeswoman said the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles had thanked every concerned US Agencies as well as the Thai and foreign media in constantly reporting the accident and urged US officials in retrieving the two students. The Thai Consulate later invited the abbot of a Thai Buddhist temple to perform rites before sending the bodies for forensic examination which would take about a week to complete. Their bodies will later forward to their families for religious ceremonies. (TNA)