Tragic tide: Phuket’s drowning incidents claim four tourists in five days

The popular tourist destination of Phuket in Thailand has recently seen a tragic spike in drowning incidents, resulting in the death of four tourists over a five-day span. In the most recent incident, two young Indian men lost their lives while swimming at Karon Beach.

At around 8.14pm yesterday, police officer Chomphunutch Anahtayakul from the Patong Police Station in Phuket was alerted by radio that two tourists had drowned at Karon Beach and were pronounced dead at Patong Hospital. The deceased were identified as 26 year old Wemah Hashid and Sajer Jatawat, both Indian nationals.

Officer Chomphunutch’s investigative report stated that on the evening of August 1, at approximately 6.30pm, the two victims, joined by a third friend, were swimming near the Naga statue on Karon Beach. The trio were taken by surprise by a large wave, which pulled both Hashid and Jatawat into the sea. Their companion managed to pull both men out of the water and attempted to resuscitate them before the ambulance arrived. Despite the swift response of medical personnel, both men could not be revived, reported KhaoSod.

Hashid was taken to Patong Hospital where he was declared dead at around 9pm yesterday. Jatawat was taken to Chalong Hospital, where he, too, passed away later yesterday evening. The initial reports from medical professionals at the hospitals suggested that both men died due to cardiac arrest resulting from drowning.

At the scene of the incident, there were red flags warning of dangerous swimming conditions due to strong winds and high waves. Despite the warnings, the two men and their friend decided to swim in the evening, leading to the unfortunate incident. The third individual managed to escape unharmed and was released to his accommodation after being checked by medical staff.

A formal death report was compiled by the Phuket authorities and the matter has been referred to the Indian embassy to facilitate the funeral arrangements according to their religious rites.

The Phuket authorities continue to urge tourists to heed the flag warnings on the beach to avoid similar incidents in the future.