PHUKET — Local Phuket authorities are warning tourists during the current monsoon season that waves in the Andaman Sea are unpredictable, urging visitors not to defy red flag warnings and enter the water, as several tragic incidents have already occurred.
Tourist drowning incidents caused by being swept away by waves occurred around the same time, before 4:00 p.m. on June 11. The first victim was a 41-year-old Kazakhstani male tourist named Yevgeniy, who drowned and lost consciousness at Kata Beach, Karon Subdistrict, Mueang Phuket District. Rescue teams attempted CPR before urgently transporting the patient to Chalong Hospital, but he ultimately died.
In another incident, the Cherng Talay Subdistrict Administrative Organization rescue unit in Thalang District, Phuket, received a report from lifeguards at Surin Beach at 4:00 p.m. about a foreign female tourist who drowned in front of Bang Tao Beach in Koo Bor Alley, Cherng Talay Subdistrict, Thalang District.
When lifeguards pulled her from the water onto shore, no pulse was detected. The rescue team performed CPR and urgently transported her to Thalang Hospital.
These two incidents follow a tragic event at Karon Beach on June 10 at a similar time around 4:00 p.m., where a 41-year-old Albanian woman drowned while swimming with her 43-year-old Egyptian husband on their first day in Phuket.
Lifeguards later found her and attempted CPR but were unable to revive her. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The body has been sent to Vachira Phuket Hospital for forensic examination and autopsy.
Local Phuket authorities stated that officials have installed red flags written in four languages – Thai, English, Chinese, and Russian – along beach areas to warn of strong waves and winds, asking tourists not to defy the warnings. Even areas that appear to have shallow water may experience powerful waves that can sweep people into deep water, causing drowning.
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