Filipino crewman found hanged on gas tanker off Phuket
Police launch probe after seafarer discovered dead aboard anchored vessel
Police in Phuket are investigating the death of a Filipino crewman who was found hanged aboard a Singapore-flagged gas tanker anchored off Ao Makham.
The body of 28 year old John Bernice Tio Brioso was discovered at around 5pm yesterday, August 25, aboard the Hoegh Gandria, which was moored off Wichit.
The vessel’s captain, Nikolic Drasco, immediately alerted Thai police. Officers from Wichit Police Station boarded the ship at about 6.35pm after receiving the report.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Chonlathit Khiaw-on, the investigating officer, confirmed the man was found in his normal work clothes. A preliminary examination by forensic officers and a duty doctor revealed marks on his neck consistent with hanging. No other injuries or signs of assault were detected.
Investigators inspected the scene and the crewman’s cabin but found no evidence of a struggle or ransacking. His body was later transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a full autopsy.
Police said the case is being treated as a suspected suicide, though a full investigation remains underway.
The initial emergency response was triggered at 6.10pm yesterday when Vice Admiral Suwat Donsakul, Director of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre Region 3 (Thai-MECC 3), ordered an urgent medical team to the vessel after receiving reports of a crewman in respiratory distress.
By the time responders reached the Hoegh Gandria, the crewman had already been pronounced dead, The Phuket News reported.
Police have notified the Philippine consular officials, while Thai-MECC 3 confirmed the case is being handled in line with Thai legal procedures.
The death comes as Phuket police continue to emphasise the importance of seafarer welfare, with the island’s busy shipping lanes hosting hundreds of international vessels each year.
If you or anyone you know is in emotional distress, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand 24-hour hotline: 02 713 6791 (English), 02 713 6793 (Thai), or the Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai). Please also contact your friends or relatives at this time if you have feelings of loneliness, stress, or depression. Seek help.
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