Mystery surrounds Aussie death plunge in Phuket

PHUKET: An Australian tourist on holiday in Phuket died over the weekend after falling off a hotel balcony in Patong. It is believed he was sleepwalking at the time.

The story broke in the Thai press by Manager Online news site, which identified the deceased as 33-year-old Dean William McKeon.

The site also posted graphic images of the late Mr McKeon, who was found lying face up dressed only in a pair of camouflage shorts.

A security guard discovered the body of the Australian at 6:30am in a car park after he plunged from the fourth floor balcony of the C&N Hotel, on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road.

Mr McKeon and a group of friends had returned to the the hotel at about 3am after a night out on the town, according to the initial police investigation.

None of the friends were aware of the tragedy until notified by police, according to the report.

Mr McKeon, from Drumcondra in Geelong, had been in Thailand with six friends, three men and three women, celebrating a birthday.

Mr McKeon’s body is in Patong Hospital and his family hope to bring him home as soon as possible. The Geelong man was a fan of live music and supported local bands in his home town, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

If the Australian’s death was a case of sleepwalking, it would be the second such case this year following the death of a Thai mechanic who fell two stories to his death in a government housing project in Rassada in June.