South Korean man dies in drowning off Railay Beach in Krabi
A South Korean tourist died in drowning after getting into difficulty while swimming with his child off Railay Beach in Krabi on Sunday , February 22.
Rangers from Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park were alerted to the incident at about 3pm and recovered the man from the sea. He was later identified as 48 year old South Korean national, Lee Juhyun.
Rangers and a medical team transported Lee to the mainland via Nam Mao Pier to be admitted to Wattanapat Hospital. Medical staff performed CPR throughout the journey, but he died before reaching the hospital.
Police were told Lee had arrived in Thailand with his wife and child under the 60-day visa-free scheme. The family had checked into a hotel in Ao Nang subdistrict, Krabi, before travelling to Railay Beach by long-tail boat. Lee and his child were swimming in the sea off the beach when the incident happened.
An autopsy confirmed the cause of the death as drowning. Lee’s wife raised no further concerns about the cause of his death. His body is being kept at Krabi Hospital while arrangements are made to return him to South Korea for funeral rites.
A foreign man who said he witnessed the incident commented on a Workpoint News report that he and his family saw what happened from the start. He claimed medical staff arrived late at around 15 minutes after Lee was removed from water by witnesses.
The foreign man said beachgoers and some park rangers helped bring Lee out of the water and attempted to resuscitate him, but were unable to save him. He praised those who assisted and offered condolences to Lee’s family.
Railay Beach was the site of another incident in January, when a British tourist was injured in a paragliding accident. His parachute became entangled in rocks and trees on a cliff, leaving him hanging about 60 to 70 metres above the ground.
Park rangers and rescue workers recovered the man and took him to hospital. He was reported to have suffered a leg injury, though his condition was not serious.
One of the recent drowning cases was reported in Pattaya on February 9, when the body of a foreign woman was found in the sea off Jomtien Beach. According to a local news report, the woman was believed to be Russian due to her fair skin and blonde hair.
However, her nationality could not be confirmed as no personal documents were found with her body. The cause of her death is also under investigation.
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