Russian man tragically drowns off Patong Beach

A tragic incident occurred yesterday off the coast of Patong Beach when a Russian man drowned while swimming in the sea. The drowning was reported to the Patong Police Station at 7.55am, Bangkok Post reported. Rescue workers, lifeguards, and Patong Hospital personnel attempted to save the man.

Despite their best efforts to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the man could not be saved. The man’s wife informed the police that both she and her husband, 53 year old Pavel Rafaylovich, were Russian nationals. The couple had been staying at a hotel near the beach and decided to go for an early morning swim.

Pavel swam around 7 kilometres away from the shore amidst strong waves when he began to struggle. His wife called for help, and lifeguards quickly entered the water to bring him back to the shore. Unfortunately, their attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead.

Drownings in Thailand are not isolated incidents.

On April 18, an American man tragically drowned in a cave near the island of Koh Phi Phi Leh in Thailand’s Krabi province. The 51 year old tourist drowned in front of the Viking Cave in a coral diving area.

On March 19, a foreign tourist of unknown nationality tragically drowned at Pattaya Beach in Chon Buri province in eastern Thailand. Rescue workers found a Western male estimated to be between 55 and 60 years old lying on the beach unconscious. Lifeguards and rescue workers performed CPR on the tourist but sadly their efforts were unsuccessful.

On March 13, a Russian man drowned off an island in Krabi. The man had arrived in Krabi from Phuket with a tour guide over the weekend and joined a snorkelling activity at Monkey Bay on Phi Phi Don island. His body was later found floating in the sea, suspected to be a result of drowning.