Swiss tourist ignores warning, drowns

KARON: A Swiss tourist drowned and another man was pulled from the water after ignoring a beach guard’s warning not to go swimming yesterday. The visitor, named by police as Peter Dominik Kennel, 40, was pulled from the sea unconscious and died on the way to hospital. Officers said that at about 3:30 pm the two friends finished drinking in a restaurant close to the beach and decided to go swimming because it was so hot. A beach guard warned that it was not safe to swim, but they jumped in anyway. Minutes later, a big wave carried them away from the shore. Beach guards saved one man and dove underwater to bring Mr Kennel to the surface, unconscious. He died on the way to Patong Hospital. At least two other people have drowned in choppy seas off Phuket this monsoon season.