Grandpa Yen, 108, passes away
Written by Writer on Monday, October 13th, 2008
OBITUARY
Grandpa Yen, 108, passes away
CHAIWAT SATYAM
PHETCHABURI : The grand old man of the Phetchaburi river died of heart failure yesterday at the age of 108. Yen Kaewmanee, better known as Grandpa Yen, was rushed to Phra Chomklao hospital after nurses found him unconscious with a weak pulse in his boat, which was anchored at Lamyai bridge pier in Muang district.
Grandpa Yen: Lived alone on a small boat
The nurses suspected something was wrong after he failed to answer their routine call ahead of their daily visit to check his health.
”The doctors did their best trying to resuscitate him for more than an hour. Unfortunately his body never responded,” hospital deputy director Sathit Rattanasrithong said. Grandpa Yen’s heart failure was due to an enlarged heart, Dr Sathit and Phetchaburi governor Sayumporn Limthai told a joint press conference. He will be buried today in a Muslim ceremony.
Grandpa Yen fished for a living alone in a small, old boat since his wife died in 1993. He never asked anyone for help or money.
His austere lifestyle was shown to a fascinated public in the 2005 release of Khon Kon Khon, a documentary on his life.
Her Majesty the Queen gave Grandpa Yen a new boat that year after watching the documentary.
Heavy rain sank his boat on Sept 19. Neighbours rescued him from the river and took him to Phra Chomklao hospital.
After hearing of Grandpa Yen’s plight, the Queen had the Ayutthaya Shipbuilding Industrial and Technology College repair and upgrade his boat. It was equipped with an engine to give him better control of the vessel.
The Phetchaburi Red Cross Society also delivered meals to him every day, as requested by Her Majesty.
He is survived by two adopted daughters, both married and living with their families.
Bangkok Post
News Topics Related Posts :
- RATINGS / Fitch downgrades outlook to negative (Thursday, December 11, 2008)
- POLITUCS / Fatal bombing at D.Mueang (Thursday, December 11, 2008)
- Black Canyon growth falls to 8% (Wednesday, December 3, 2008)
- Asean summit off till March (Wednesday, December 3, 2008)
- Anupong is pleased, but will monitor situation (Wednesday, December 3, 2008)
- Official warns of freezing weather in China quake zone, expecting more quilt donations (Saturday, November 22, 2008)
- Gen Apichart warns Thaksin of being exploited (Thursday, November 20, 2008)
- China outlines first multi-year grain security plan (Thursday, November 13, 2008)
- Israeli shipper to pay families over crewmen’s deaths (Thursday, November 13, 2008)
- Cash benefits pose more problems than they solve (Wednesday, November 12, 2008)
- Paradorn targets return (Wednesday, November 12, 2008)
- FINANCE / Olympic success attracts aid (Wednesday, November 12, 2008)
- RETAILING / Office Depot aims at non-US markets (Wednesday, November 12, 2008)
- POLITICS / Royalists warn of subversive movement (Wednesday, November 12, 2008)
- Thaksin’s visa revoked due to conviction (Wednesday, November 12, 2008)
- Headway in demarcation talks with Cambodia (Wednesday, November 12, 2008)
- Burma says Daewoo will continue exploration (Tuesday, November 11, 2008)
- Disapproval rating for Aso Cabinet tops approval rate : Kyodo poll (Tuesday, November 11, 2008)
- PAD supporters wed at Govt House (Tuesday, November 11, 2008)
- Panlop says he hasn’t been asked to be deputy pm (Tuesday, November 11, 2008)
News Topics : Ayutthaya, Bangkok Post, Bridge Pier, Deputy Director, Enlarged Heart, Heart Failure, Heavy Rain, Majesty, Muslim, Neighbours, Nurses, Old Boat, Plight, Red Cross Society, Satyam, Shipbuilding, Small Boat, Technology College, Weak Pulse, Yen
This entry was posted
on Monday, October 13th, 2008 and is filed under
General News.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the
RSS 2.0 feed.
You can
leave a response, or
trackback from your own site.