10 year old Canadian girl drowns off Kata Beach in Phuket
Family trip in Thailand cut short by sudden sea tragedy
A rescue team yesterday, August 7, discovered the body of a Canadian girl who had drowned in the sea off Kata Beach in Phuket.
Officers from Karon Police Station and rescuers from the Kuson Dham Foundation were called to Kata Beach after the 10 year old was swept away by waves while swimming with her family at around 4pm.
The rescuers split into two groups to search for the girl. The first group dived in the sea near Koh Tapu, while the second team remained on the beach, searching the shallows at about waist to chest depth.
According to Phuket Hotnews, the Canadian family of five had arrived in Phuket from Malaysia on Wednesday, 6 August. They had planned to stay in Thailand until October 4, but the tragedy abruptly ended their holiday.
The search team eventually found the girl’s body near the spot where she had disappeared. She was brought ashore, where her distressed family was waiting. The girl reportedly had a wound on her face, and rescuers suspected she may have struck rocks beneath the surface while drowning.
Photographs shared by several Thai media outlets appeared to show no red flags raised to warn tourists. The Phuket Times Facebook page reported that there were strong winds and waves at the time of the incident. However, relevant officials had assessed the conditions and concluded it was safe for swimming.
In a related incident, on Monday, August 4, a Phuket local discovered the body of a foreign woman on Kamala Beach. A lifeguard told the Phuket Hotnews Facebook page that the woman had arrived at the beach at about 4pm and gone swimming, leaving her clothes and belongings on the sand.
Kamala Police Station officers said there were no visible wounds on her body, which was later transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a full autopsy. The woman’s identity has not yet been shared with the public.
Latest Thailand News
Follow The Thaiger on Google News:
