PHUKET — Thai authorities have established a search center for an American woman who disappeared while jet skiing off Patong Beach in Phuket on Thursday morning.
Officials from the Phuket Regional Harbor Office, along with personnel from Kathu District, Patong City Municipality, Patong Police Station, and various rescue foundations have joined forces to search for 27-year-old Nina, who vanished while riding a jet ski in the sea on February 27.
According to reports, Nina rented a jet ski from Saranuwat Nasok at Patong Beach near the Sea Pearl roundabout in Patong, Kathu District, between 9:25 a.m. and 9:55 a.m.
A passenger boat captain who passed through the area stated that he saw Nina remove her life jacket to swim in the sea around 9:40 a.m. The jet ski rental operator reported that when he rode out to check on her at 9:50 a.m., she was nowhere to be found. He discovered the jet ski floating approximately 1 kilometer from shore with no signs of collision damage. He subsequently filed a report with Patong Police Station.
Authorities later contacted the cruise ship Celebrity Millennium, which had sailed through the area where Nina disappeared, requesting a review of the ship’s security camera footage between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. At 8:20 p.m., the cruise ship responded that their stern cameras only captured jet skis passing by and did not record any accidents or suspicious incidents.
Search efforts are ongoing as authorities work to locate the missing tourist.
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