Father of ‘extraordinary’ backpacker killed falling from Thai train in ‘preventable accident’ pays tribute
Exclusive: ‘This accident could have been easily prevented,’ says Ryan Ralph’s father Tim, who is calling for changes to Thailand’s railway safety measures
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The grieving father of a 24-year-old killed falling from a train in Thailand has paid tribute to his “extraordinary” son and called for changes to railway safety measures to spare other families the same loss.
Ryan Ralph fell from an overnight locomotive during a journey with his girlfriend, Shona Morgan, 22, from Northern Ireland, who was backpacking in the country.
The tragedy happened when Mr Ralph went to have a cigarette, leaving Ms Morgan asleep. It’s believed that as he stood between carriages, he lost his footing and fell onto the tracks. A major hunt for him was carried out before his body was found.
His father, Tim Ralph, paid tribute to “an extraordinary young man”, saying: “Ryan had completed a degree with honours in business but he knew that he didn’t want to be or belong in the business world, he wanted to be a ‘a good human’.
“He was travelling to see how he could accomplish that: he had talked about many potential career paths such as environmental law or something that would allow him to benefit people. “I am sure I am biased but Ryan could literally have done anything. He was a straight-A student while playing soccer and hockey at the highest levels.
“For hockey in particular this would involve long bus rides on school nights to play as far as 500km – he would finish his homework on the bus without any prompting.
“I would often refer to him as a ‘self-cleaning oven’ - we never had to ask if his school work was done or if he had projects due, he was always on top of it.”
Mr Ralph said his son encouraged his sister, Lauren, two years his junior, who adored him.
He became captain of his hockey team and “had a group of friends that was closer than I have seen even in army sections,” he added.
Mr Ralph, a former physician assistant in the Canadian Army and emergency medicine, who visited the site where his son died, said the tragedy had been preventable and his death was senseless.
“Ryan would have been standing on the bottom step of an open area between the rail cars and his leg would have struck the unlit platform at mid-thigh,” he said. “This accident could have been easily prevented.”
He said that when he went to collect his son’s body, Thailand Tourist Police were compassionate and accommodating.
However, when he wanted to speak to rail officials, he was referred to their insurers but was unable to contact them.
Mr Ralph outlined four changes he thinks would avoid future tragedy, including doors between carriages that close; doors on side openings; enforcement of a ban on smoking on trains and at stations, and lighting areas on tracks.
“We have come to learn that not only are there no physical doors or barriers on the train’s access points, and there are windows that have no physical glass or barrier,” he said.
Mr Ralph’s parents say they plan to put any compensation towards a bursary they are setting up at his former high school.
The Independent has asked the State Railway of Thailand to respond.
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