Korean drowns in honeymoon tragedy

PHANG NGA: An idyllic honeymoon ended in horror and tragedy for a South Korean couple on Tuesday when the 33-year-old husband drowned in a boating tour accident. His young bride is due to fly home tonight, carrying her husband’s ashes. The cremation of Lee Dong Keun was due to take place just hours before his bride’s flight. Details of the tragedy, which happened while the newlyweds were on a group tour off Koh Lawa in Phang Nga Bay, were revealed by police today. Mr Lee arrived in Phuket on Tuesday with 24-year-old bride Kim Ae Ri on a group tour. Police said the couple were among 30 Korean tourists on a sea tour run by Phuket Panwa Canoe Co. The couple apparently could not swim but were not wearing flotation vests. Investigating officer Pol Lt Col Jumroon Playdoung, of Thalang Police Station, told the Gazette, “We questioned witnesses, a representative of Phuket Panwa Canoe, Somphob [Khothongrit], and Komane Buanoon, a company employee, about the case. They said buoyancy aids were provided for the tourists, but neither Lee nor Kim chose to wear them.” The tourists were all on one boat, the Kriang Krai, which anchored off a beach off Koh Lawa so the group could swim. Police were told the couple set out to walk in the water towards other members of the group, then suddenly found themselves out of their depth. A man in a canoe pulled Kim from the sea, then she asked her rescuer, “Where is my husband?” It is not clear how many guides were with the party, or why no-one was able to come to the aid of the drowning man. “The area where Phuket Panwa Canoe took the tourists to swim was not very deep,” Col Jumroon said. “It wasn’t too dangerous for people who could swim. Kim said that her husband couldn’t swim, and nor could she. “Lee was taken out of the water to the shore where resuscitation was attempted. Then he was taken to Thalang hospital. He died on the way.”