British-Australian man found dead on yacht off Phuket coast
A man holding both British and Australian citizenship was found dead aboard his private yacht anchored off Khao Khad beach in Phuket yesterday, January 11, with the cause of death still under investigation.
The discovery was made around 12.30pm when a German friend, 54 year old Matthias Lepke, who had been moored nearby, became concerned after not seeing the man for some time.
The vessel, named Synergy Sydney, was anchored near Khao Khad beach, opposite the Veranda Resort in Wichit, Mueang district.
Police from Wichit Police Station, forensic officers, and a medical examiner from Vachira Phuket Hospital responded to the report and boarded the yacht. The deceased, later identified as 70 year old Graham Tucker, was found lying on a mattress in a bedroom toward the front of the boat.
Tucker’s body showed signs of significant decomposition, with discolouration and peeling skin. Preliminary examination suggested there were no signs of injury or struggle, and that he had been dead for at least one to two days.
Lepke told police that he noticed the Synergy Sydney yacht had been unusually quiet. He decided to check on Tucker around midday and discovered the body, after which he immediately alerted hotel staff on shore.
Locals familiar with the area reported that Tucker had been living alone on the yacht for roughly a decade. He frequently travelled between Phuket and Malaysia by sea, reported Khaosod.
Tucker’s body has been transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a full autopsy to determine the cause of death. Officers are in the process of notifying both the British and Australian embassies to contact his relatives and arrange for the repatriation of his remains.
Similarly, back in June, a search team discovered the deceased body of a British man who disappeared during a trip with four family members aboard a private yacht, De Mareft. The vessel was anchored approximately one kilometre off Cape Yamu in Phuket’s Thalang district when he went missing.
