Golfer, 15, dies after a lightning strike at a Thailand tournament, having clung on overnight until her father flew home

Aeyavarin "Aeya" Pradubyart's heart stopped for nearly an hour after lightning struck her on the 11th hole of Lotus Valley Golf Resort in Chachoengsao province. She fought back repeatedly through the night, surviving long enough for her father Phatthanaphong — who had been working in Myanmar — to fly home and say a final goodbye before she was declared dead on Monday.

Her mother Natcha says officials failed to suspend play despite two clear thunder claps before the fatal strike.

'You fought so hard, my beloved Aeya,' Natcha wrote in a heartbreaking Facebook tribute after her daughter's death.

Aeya had won the Junior Asian Tour 2026 opener at Rayong Green Valley Country Club in March and had trained since the age of six.