Young Brit dies in mystery fall
PATONG: A young English tourist mysteriously fell from a building in Patong early Monday evening and died en route to hospital.
Kathu Police Superintendent Col Grissak Songmoonnark identified the deceased from his passport as UK national Joseph John Nason, age 22.
Mr Nason and a friend, aged 19, had just arrived in Phuket on a flight from Bangkok and were staying at the Deevana Patong Resort & Spa on Rat -U-Thit 200 Pi Rd, he said.
The critically-injured Mr Nason was discovered lying unconscious in front of a derelict three-story shophouse on a soi off Rat-U-Thit 200 Pee Rd at about 2 am.
He was rushed to Patong Hospital, but died on the way.
Mr Nason’s friend was shocked when he learned of his friend’s death. He said they had gone out on the town that night and split up at about midnight.
He had no idea how Mr Nason ended up in the area where the tragedy occurred, which is a densely populated neighborhood not far from the Montana Grand Phuket hotel.
Police say Mr Nason was seen running though the area before his fall, though there were no reports that anybody was chasing him at the time.
He climbed into the derelict building and lost his footing on the first or second floor, falling to the ground and hitting his head on a metal support bar.
Col Grissak refused to speculate on the case until more evidence becomes available.
A special team has been assigned to investigate, he said.
The British Embassy has been informed of the tragedy and Mr Nason’s family will soon repatriate his remains to their home in the south of England.
