Aussie tourist drowns near Phuket’s Koh Racha Yai
Initially found unconscious in the waters, he was later pronounced dead at the hospital
An Australian tourist tragically drowned on May 6, just off the coast of Phuket’s Racha Island, as he reportedly went for a swim while intoxicated. The 22 year old tourist was initially revived with CPR, but was pronounced dead upon his arrival at a nearby hospital.
On May 6, at 2.28pm, the Phuket Tourist Assistance Centre (Pearl Centre) received a report that a tourist had drowned off Koh Racha Yai, a popular destination for snorkelling and diving. The alert came from the owner of the Marinda 2 tour boat, who had been hosting the ill-fated trip.
He reportedly entered the waters while intoxicated and was dragged underwater by strong currents, where he was unable to swim back up, as reported by news.com.au.
The Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Division quickly arrived at the scene, dispatching their rescue vessel, Andaman Pearl 5, along with a medical team from Chalong Hospital, including doctors and nurses trained in emergency maritime response.
Upon their arrival, the Melbourne native was unconscious and unresponsive. Medics performed CPR and were initially able to detect a pulse, but he was pronounced dead upon his arrival at Phuket’s Chalong Hospital, a trip that took an estimated hour and 15 minutes.
Perth Now shared that the man may have been heavily intoxicated before entering the waters, which was confirmed by a statement from Police Lieutenant Colonel Kanen Somrak.
“The victim had consumed a large amount of alcohol before entering the water. He was reportedly intoxicated and repeatedly jumped in and out of the sea before eventually drowning,
The Australian Embassy have been contacted by the relevant authorities in Phuket to inform the man’s family of his death. As officials prepare for his repatriation, his body currently remains at Vachira Phuket Hospital.
Latest Thailand News
Follow The Thaiger on Google News:
