Missing Youth Found Dead, Suspected Mental Illness and Alcohol Abuse

The body of an 18-year-old youth, who had been missing for four days, was discovered in the river in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The deceased was found in a state of decomposition. The incident occurred around 8:00 AM on September 8, 2026, along the riverbank in Po Mo Lung village, Prek Pnov commune, Prek Pnov district, Phnom Penh. The victim was identified as Siek Pithou, 18, who reportedly suffered from mental illness. He was originally from Prek Pray village, Prey Ruessei commune, Lovea Em district in Kandal province and resided in a rented room in Choam Chao district, Phnom Penh. According to his mother, Siek Pithou had been suffering from a mental disorder since childhood. He had a habit of begging for money along the river and would get drunk daily, sleeping by the riverbank. While he had previously gone missing for short periods, this time his disappearance was prolonged. On September 7, his mother, carrying his photograph, inquired with security guards in public gardens. She received information that her son had been drinking heavily, sleeping on the riverbank near the central market, and subsequently rolled into the water and disappeared. Witnesses reportedly attempted a rescue at the time of the accident but were unsuccessful. Upon hearing that her son had fallen into the river and died, the mother searched along the river. She later received news that a body had been found floating in Prek Pnov. Upon investigation, she confirmed it was her son. Further reports indicate that around noon on September 7, a young man's body was seen floating in the middle of the river under the Choam Chao bridge. The body drifted with the currents and eventually washed ashore near the riverbank in Prek Pnov district, causing alarm among residents. Authorities were dispatched to retrieve the body for examination. An autopsy conducted by Dr. Chheng Ren, a forensic doctor for the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, concluded that the youth died from drowning. Source: Koh Santepheap Khmer