Three more lives were claimed by Phuket’s dangerous west coast seas: Russian, American, and Thai victims ignored warnings or were swept away. Red flags and rough conditions at Surin and Mai Khao beaches contributed to their tragic deaths. Bodies were found on Monday.
Three more people, including a Russian, an American, and a Thai woman, have died off the treacherous shores on the west coast of Phuket since Sunday. 64-year-old Apostolov Aleksei ignored red flag warnings on Surin beach in Thalang as he entered the sea to die, while an American and a Thai woman were swept away at Mai Khao beach in northwestern Phuket. Their bodies were found on Monday by locals.
Three more people had their lives claimed by Phuket’s notorious West Coast seas over the last 48 hours.
On Monday, Thai Police revealed that the bodies of a 45-year-old American man and a 49-year-old Thai woman were discovered washed ashore on Mai Khao beach in northwestern Phuket.
White sandy beach in northwestern Phuket saw the bodies of the American and Thai woman swept ashore on Monday. They checked into a nearby hotel on Sunday
The popular beach is known for its long, clear, white sandy stretches. Police at Tha Chatchai police station are investigating the incident. A briefing was given by Police Lieutenant Colonel Ranaphoum Permpoon, the chief investigator.
He identified the 45-year-old American as James Newman. The Thai woman from Surin was a nurse named Waranya.
American drowned when swept out to sea at Nai Harn Beach in Phuket while swimming with his family
20-year-old Burmese man drowned after ignoring a Red Flag warning on a Phuket beach last Sunday
Officers are not clear about the exact relationship of the pair. However, they both checked into a hotel on Mai Khao beach on Sunday.
Police surmise that they were swimming when swept away by waves. In particular, officers suspect that one may have tried to help the other in difficulty.
The western coast of Phuket is particularly dangerous with powerful rip tides and winds blowing offshore, which are additionally prone to changing direction.
Another American swept away the week previously
Another American man, 49-year-old James Everett DuBois, was swept away on June 9th at Nai Harn Beach in Rawai.
His body was found two days later on Tuesday, June 11th, following an extensive search.
Both bodies discovered on Monday were sent to Vachira Hospital for an autopsy. Police noted they showed no signs of an attack or prior injury.
At the government hospital in the centre of Phuket, they joined the body of the other foreigner who drowned on Sunday.
An autopsy was earlier ordered on the body of 64-year-old Apostolov Aleksei.
The Russian man got into difficulty on Sunday at Surin beach, located in Thalang. He ignored red flags flying on the beach, which signalled swimmers that the waters were too dangerous for swimming.
Lifeguards reacted and entered the water to save the struggling Russian, but when they reached him, he was in a lifeless state. They failed to revive him
In addition, conditions in the sea were particularly rough. Lifeguards on duty saw the swimmer experiencing difficulty.
In short, he was trying to swim his way back to the shore. However, the force of the tide gradually swept him away. In response, lifeguards took to sea to reach the failing man.
Afterwards, he was lifeless when they reached him and dragged him back to shore. Despite attempts to administer CPR, the man continued to show no signs of life or a pulse. He had drowned.
Following this, the Russian Embassy in Thailand was notified of the death.
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Further reading:
American drowned when swept out to sea at Nai Harn Beach in Phuket while swimming with his family
20-year-old Burmese man drowned after ignoring a Red Flag warning on a Phuket beach last Sunday
Fears for Russian tourist, a top business executive, gone missing from Naithon Beach in Phuket
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Accused tells press he murdered the Swiss tourist last week in Phuket and stole ฿300 for drugs
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Evil struck a Thai island on Sunday when a local brutally raped and murdered a German woman
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