Taiwanese tourist tragically drowns while snorkeling off Krabi

A Taiwanese tourist tragically drowned while snorkelling off an island in Thailand’s Krabi province. The tourist, 36 year old Yueh Lee, had been snorkelling off the island of Koh Hong on Tuesday, according to his friend.

The unidentified friend said they had been looking at coral reefs. Lifeguards then noticed that Yueh had been lying face down in the water for too long. The lifeguards rushed to help bring Yueh to shore, realising that he was unconscious.

The lifeguards performed CPR until Yueh regained consciousness. They rushed him to Krabi hospital, however, he ended up dying from choking on water and lacking oxygen for too long, Ban Muang reported.

Police are now working with the Taiwanese Embassy to contact Yueh’s family.

Thailand’s islands and vacation hotspots are beautiful, however, tragic incidents of tourists drowning in these places make headlines from time to time.

In November last year, a Russian tourist drowned while swimming at Karon Beach on the west coast of Phuket. An eyewitness said he saw the 45 year old man swimming in the sea when he suddenly disappeared under the water. A beachgoer informed the lifeguards who dived in and brought him to shore. An ambulance took him to Chalong Hospital, and he was given CPR for the whole journey. However, he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.

In October last year, a Japanese man drowned in Phang Nga’s Takua Pa district. The 46 year old man had gone swimming in the sea in front of the Moracea by Khao Lak resort. He went missing, and a team from the Phang Nga Naval Base began to search for him. The navy then found the man’s body in the water about two hours later. The man’s body was sent to a hospital for an autopsy, and the Japanese embassy was notified of the incident.