PATTAYA — Pracharat Satsuk, a 34-year-old speedboat driver, rescued a naked Russian tourist found floating in Pattaya Bay, approximately 6 kilometers from shore. The tourist was reportedly attempting to swim from Pattaya to Koh Laan island since late night hours.
Pracharat was transporting a group of over 20 foreign tourists to Koh Laan when he spotted the exhausted Russian man halfway through the journey. Upon rescue, he noticed multiple jellyfish stings and salt water abrasions on the tourist’s body. The driver provided a towel for coverage and water for the dehydrated swimmer before transferring him to Koh Laan district officials for further assistance.
“It was fortunate that the sea currents weren’t strong today,” Pracharat noted. “The situation could have been worse if he had drifted further out or if a passing boat hadn’t noticed him in the water.”
While there have been several similar incidents of tourists attempting to swim to Koh Laan in the past, Pracharat said this was his first encounter with such a situation in his career as a boat operator.
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