Swiss Tourist Drowns At Kata Beach

KATA: A Swiss tourist drowned on Sunday after he failed to heed warnings and went swimming in heavy seas, Chalong district police reported. The victim, identified by authorities as 67-year-old Jean Jacques Arsene, entered the water at Kata Yai Beach around 4 o’clock Sunday afternoon despite pleas from his spouse to stay out of the rough surf. Sangduan Danchong told police she remained on shore to watch as her husband went swimming. After about 15 minutes she lost sight of Arsene and rushed into the waist-deep water where she discovered his lifeless body. A passerby helped her pull the man to shore and seek help at the nearby Club Med resort. Chalong police and the Kupai Rescue Squad responded to the emergency call and pronounced Arsene dead at the scene. His body was transferred to the Wachira General Hospital morgue in Phuket Town where doctors listed the cause of death as drowning, police said. The Swiss Embassy in Bangkok was later notified of the incident.