British man’s death in Phuket leaves family searching for answers
The heartbroken family of a British man is desperately seeking the truth after his body washed ashore a Phuket beach. The body of Regan Kelly was discovered on Saturday, January 5, floating in the sea off a Thai beach.
The 28 year old South London man’s body was discovered naked and face down merely hours after he was seen dashing out of a bar after a meeting with an unknown man turned heated.
Kelly, a 28 year old building surveyor from Selsdon, South London, had just set foot in Thailand for a month-long getaway when he vanished in the early hours of January 3. He was last captured on CCTV at the Mad Monkey Hostel, where he was staying on the idyllic island of Phuket.
CCTV footage reveals Kelly in an intense discussion with a man who appeared to be a fellow tourist, yet not a fellow guest at the hostel. Over several hours, the conversation became “increasingly heated,” Regan’s family revealed.
Laurie Blackall, Kelly’s sister, revealed the heated debate between her brother and the stranger to the MailOnline.
“We are not too sure what they were talking about but the conversation seemed a bit confrontational. There’s no audio but Regan looked visibly upset.”
After abruptly leaving the bar, Kelly headed towards the sun-kissed sands of Patong Beach, with the unknown man trailing behind only moments later.
A nearby hotel’s security cameras caught the unsettling sight of Regan sprinting, followed by the mystery man a mere 15 seconds later. But then, the footage abruptly cuts off, leaving a haunting gap in the timeline.
The following day, at 10am, a watersports instructor stumbled upon a tragic sight: Regan’s lifeless, naked body face down in the waves off Patong. With clothes and belongings nowhere to be seen, and his phone missing, Regan’s identity was confirmed through police photos sent to his family, who anxiously reported him missing when they hadn’t heard from him.
Laurie, joined by her father, is now in Thailand, desperately piecing together the events leading up to her brother’s untimely demise. They are particularly focused on his conversation with the mystery man, believed to be the last person to see Regan alive.
Determined to uncover the truth, the family has also launched a fundraiser to bring Regan’s body back to the UK for a second post-mortem, said Laurie.
“The detective said he has worked tirelessly. I just don’t know if they want to make it out like it was a tragic accident. Don’t get me wrong, it could have been an accident, but something is really not sitting right with me.”
Kelly, who regularly messaged his family since landing on December 30, had assured them with holiday snapshots, showing off his adventures and letting them know he was safe. But, when they didn’t hear from him on January 3, they felt a chilling sense of dread.
Describing the man in pursuit as a fellow tourist, Laurie said, “He wore a white t-shirt and shorts and was muscly.”
Laurie is appealing to this mystery man, urging him to step forward and reveal what was said in those final moments.
“I would like to ask why Regan seemed so upset.”
Despite the intense conversation, Laurie was taken aback by the video.
“He’s in paradise and he’s worked so hard to get there. It wasn’t like him to be heated like that. He’s very sociable and not a reckless party boy. He’s an experienced traveller who had explored Southeast Asia before. He’s a professional, he’s not a lager lout.”
A qualified building surveyor, Regan was known among friends and coworkers as “mature for his age” and “the most beautiful person.”
His cousin Larysa describing him as a “lovely man with a loud laugh that would light up the room.”
Despite Thai police ruling the official cause of death as drowning, Regan’s family insists on a British coroner’s opinion, said Laurie.
“We want him to be examined properly. You don’t know how thorough they are.”
The Kelly family has launched a JustGiving page to cover the substantial costs of bringing Regan home and arranging his funeral.
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