Another tourist drowns

KARON: Philip Sams, a 40-year-old British tourist, drowned off Karon Beach in front of the South Sea Resort on Saturday afternoon. Pol Maj Jetsada Sangsuri told the Gazette that Mr Sams was swimming with his girlfriend, Wendy Murrin, around 3 pm. Ms Murrin returned to the beach, but Mr Sams chose to stay in the surf. Soon thereafter, he was pushed underwater by a large wave and was caught in a current that started to carry him out to sea. A Thai man standing on the beach noticed Mr Sams was in trouble and took a speedboat out to rescue him. However, the victim was unconscious by the time the boat reached him. Maj Jetsada explained that when police arrived at the scene about 15 minutes later, Mr Sams was lying on the beach with the Thai man administering CPR. The victim was taken to Phuket Wachira Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The body is being kept at the hospital until staff receive instructions from the British embassy. The Gazette’s news archives show Mr Sams to be the 18th person to drown in Phuket’s low-season (April-October) waters this year.