Two tourists drown

KATA-KARON: Two foreign tourists who ignored red warning flags and entered heavy surf drowned in separate incidents yesterday afternoon at Kata and Karon beaches.

Pol Lt Col Chana Suthimas, duty inspector of Chalong Police Station, identified the victim recovered at Karon Beach as 41-year-old Mesut Yetkin from Turkey. His death was reported about 6:40 pm.

A few hours earlier, about 3 pm, the body of a tall Caucasian man in black swim trunks was pulled from the water off at Kata Beach.

“I think he was between 45 and 50 years of age and about 180 to 190 centimeters tall,” Col Chana said.

Citing confidentiality policy, staff at Patong Hospital declined to gives the name or nationality of the the victim, who the Gazette has learned has since been identified.

“There were red flags at the beaches, but both tourists ignored them. Their bodies are now at Patong Hospital waiting for relatives to come and claim them,” Col Chana said.