British man found dead at sea after missing from yacht off Phuket
Search spanned land, sea, and islands before the tragic discovery
A search team, yesterday, June 12, discovered the deceased body of a British man who went missing from his family’s private yacht off Phuket on June 8.
The British national, 28 year old Endnaler Johnson, disappeared during a trip with four family members aboard a private yacht, De Mareft. The vessel was anchored approximately one kilometre off Cape Yamu in Phuket’s Thalang district when Johnson went missing.
CCTV footage from the yacht showed Johnson leaving his cabin through a window between 2am and 3am on June 8. He then entered the sea using a rubber dinghy, jumped into the water, climbed back in, and then jumped again, after which he disappeared.
According to a report from ThaiRath, Johnson’s family stated that he had been under stress following a recent breakup with his girlfriend. However, they believed it was unlikely that he would have taken his own life.
The family initially hoped Johnson might have swum to shore and avoided contact to spend some time alone.
The boat’s captain insisted to the media that he had kept all entrances locked at night for the safety of everyone on board. However, Johnson exited via a window.
According to the Bangkok Post, the captain did not immediately report the British national’s disappearance after discovering it on the morning of June 8. Instead, he waited more than eight hours before notifying the relevant authorities.
Search teams were deployed both on land and at sea. Officials scoured the coastline from Cape Yamu to Cape Bang Rong, but no trace of Johnson was found. Other teams used jet skis to search the waters nearby.
Local fishermen were asked to assist with the operation and to report any suspicious sightings to authorities.
Based on sea currents and wind direction, officials speculated that Johnson may have drifted towards Koh Naka Noi, Koh Naka Yai, Por Bay, or Phang Nga Bay. Additional rescue teams were dispatched to those areas.
Tragically, yesterday, search teams confirmed that Johnson’s body had been found near Koh Raet in the Pa Klok sub-district of Thalang district, Phuket. His body was taken to a local hospital for an autopsy.
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