A 52-year-old Hong Kong man has drowned off a beach in the Thai tourist hotspot of Phuket, the latest in a string of tourist deaths at the country’s beaches.
Media reports from Thailand said a tourist from Hong Kong named Andy Che Ka-fai was pulled unconscious from the water off Patong Beach on Wednesday.
The incident was said to have been confirmed by Patong police officer Lieutenant Colonel Phongpipat Khamchomphu, a deputy inspector for investigations.
Che Ho-wa, the dead man’s 15-year-old son, said he and his father had gone swimming on the beach at around 11am.
They were about 50m (164 feet) out from the shore when they started to drift apart because of strong waves.
When the boy turned to check on his father, he spotted he was already in difficulties.
The teenager waved and shouted for help and lifeguards came to their rescue and brought them back to shore.
Thai media said the lifeguards carried out cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the father in a battle to save his life before he was rushed to hospital.
The lifeguard who helped the father and son later said the pair were at first in a safe area between red and yellow flags, but were later swept out beyond the red flags into a no-swimming zone by strong seas.
Hong Kong’s Immigration Department said it had offered support to the dead man’s family, and was liaising with diplomatic missions.
The department also highlighted its 24-hour 1868 hotline, which can also accept WhatsApp messages.
Beaches in Phuket have a three-coloured flag warning system, with green flags indicating water conditions are calm and safe for swimming.
Yellow flag zones are used to signal caution is needed because of moderate surf or currents.
Red flags warn of high surf, strong currents and rip tides and swimmers are advised to stay out of the water.
Thai authorities said they had contacted the Chinese consulate in Phuket for help.
The drowning came the same day a 58-year-old Kazakh national was said to have drowned on Karon Beach, also in Phuket province.
A 37-year-old South Korean national was also said to have died while swimming near Tawaen Beach on Koh Larn Island, off the coast of Pattaya.
