A twelve-year-old boy was found dead after trying to retrieve his kite from a pond and falling into the water.

Thanawut Tongsawang was playing with friends when he let go of his kite and it dropped into the pond in Nakhon Phanom, east northern Thailand, on Wednesday evening (20/11).

Tragically, he tried to venture into the 6ft deep swamp to recover his toy – only to get into difficulties and disappear below the surface.

Rescue workers were alerted by villagers and they took over an hour searching for the child in the murky depths of the pond.

Footage shows the diving team discover the body of the dead boy at dusk on the same day.

One of the villagers said: "The boy was trying to save his kite, but he could not swim. He went into the water but it was much too deep for him to cope.

‘’It is shallow at the edges but deep in the middle. If he lost contact with the ground he would not have been able to stay afloat or get back to the side. That’s why he drowned.’’

Police warned all parents to prevent their children from venturing into rivers, ponds, lakes or disused quarries and swamps.

More than 2,000 children die from drowning each year in Thailand.