logo
22-year-old Aussie tourist tragically drowns in Thailand

22-year-old Aussie tourist tragically drowns in Thailand

News.com.au09-05-2025

A 22-year-old Australian tourist has drowned in Thailand after reportedly diving into the sea while drunk during a boat tour.
Horrifying footage shows onlookers watching as medics perform CPR on the Melbourne man while on board a tourist boat on May 6.
A medic can be seen rapidly pumping up and down on the young man's chest before stopping and appearing to let a colleague take over.
The 22-year-old reportedly jumped off the Marinda 2 tour boat to swim off the coast of Koh Racha Yai, a popular destination for snorkelling and diving.
He attempted to paddle in the water but was dragged underwater due to strong currents and inebriation.
Medics were dispatched to the scene after receiving a distress call from the boat operator at 2.28pm local time.
They found the tourist unconscious and unresponsive on the deck and immediately administered CPR.
Upon detecting a pulse, he was rushed to Chalong Hospital in Phuket. However, he was pronounced dead at 3.53pm.
A boat trip from the island of Koh Racha Yai typically takes 45 minutes to 1 hour and an additional 15 minutes in a car to arrive at Chalong Hospital.
Police lieutenant colonel Kanen Somrak of Chalong Police Station told local media the victim is an Australian national, adding there were seven foreign tourists, including the deceased.
'The victim had consumed a large amount of alcohol before entering the water. He was reportedly intoxicated and repeatedly jumped in and out of the sea before eventually drowning,' Mr Somrak said.
'No illegal substances were found at the scene. Only empty alcohol beverage bottles were discovered.'
Authorities have contacted the Australian embassy to inform the young man's family of his death. His body is being kept at the Vachira Phuket Hospital as officials arrange his repatriation.
News.com.au has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for comment.
Indonesia's notoriously dangerous beaches
Just days earlier, A Chinese tourist was filmed in her final moments before tragically drowning while trying to retrieve a camera she dropped on a diving trip in Indonesia.
Zhang Xiaohan, 30, went scuba diving to admire the corals and marine life off the remote Kabakan Island in East Kalimantan on May 2.
However, the woman's GoPro camera she was using slipped from her hands as she was ascending almost eight metres through the waters
She battled and tried to drag herself up the depths but was washed away by fast-flowing currents.
Rescue teams, the local marine search agency Basarnas and soldiers were dispatched to comb the sea around the island.
After repeated diving attempts, the holidaymaker's body was found 88 metres below the surface, near the popular Kelapa Dua diving route, at 2.55pm on Saturday, May 3.
Indonesia's beaches, though stunning, pose several dangers including strong rip currents, rogue waves, and unpredictable tides that can make swimming perilous, especially for inexperienced swimmers.
In August last year, university professor Dr James Hou Fu Liu, 62, from New Zealand drowned while snorkelling off a beach in Indonesia.
While in September 2024, Colleen Monfore, 68, from South Dakota, was dragged away by the strong currents around Pulau Reong island off the coast of the country's Southwest Maluku Regency.
She was believed to have been a victim of sharks before the remains of her body surfaced.
A 2019 study showed that Indonesia experienced an average annual unintentional drowning mortality rate of 2.58 per 100,000 people – translating to approximately 4,500 deaths each year.
Despite calls from the World Health Organisation for Indonesia to designate a lead agency to co-ordinate drowning prevention efforts, it is yet to establish these measures.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Factory fire at Storage King facility in Burpengary sends suburb into lockdown
Factory fire at Storage King facility in Burpengary sends suburb into lockdown

News.com.au

timean hour ago

  • News.com.au

Factory fire at Storage King facility in Burpengary sends suburb into lockdown

A massive factory fire at a storage facility has sent a Queensland suburb into lockdown overnight and left one person hospitalised. Fire crews responded to the blaze at a Storage King warehouse on Old Gympie Road in Burpengary at about 6pm on Wednesday. A huge volume of smoke quickly engulfed the surrounding area, including the neighbouring Bruce Highway. Witness Dylan Moore told Channel 9 that he saw the huge cloud of smoke on his way home, describing the blaze as 'an explosion'. 'I was like, okay, this - crikey, this ain't good. It's on the west side of the building ... a bunch of smoke pouring out,' he said. Police made an emergency declaration just after 7pm as crews responded to the blaze, creating an exclusion zone around the area. The zone took in New Settlement Road, Pitt Road, Bellini Road, Twists Road and Old Bay Road. Members of the public were advised to avoid the area, which is about 39km north of Brisbane, while residents were told to remain indoors and close their windows. The emergency declaration was revoked just after 2am on Thursday. At least 75 firefighters from 26 crews fought the blaze, which was filmed by dozens of motorists on their commute home. A 67-year-old woman who lived nearby is reported to have been hospitalised in a stable condition due to smoke inhalation. Investigations are ongoing.

Two bodies found at Sydney Northern Beaches granny flat
Two bodies found at Sydney Northern Beaches granny flat

News.com.au

time2 hours ago

  • News.com.au

Two bodies found at Sydney Northern Beaches granny flat

Two bodies have been found in a granny flat on a property in Sydney's Northern Beaches. Officers found two bodies inside the home when they searched the property on Cannons Parade in Forestville on Wednesday evening. A police spokeswoman said a 'concern for welfare' was reported on Wednesday about 9.30pm. It has been reported neighbours raised the alarm after not seeing the home's occupants for several days, as per Today. A crime scene has been established at the property, with police yet to determine the circumstances of the deaths, the spokeswoman said. 'Officers attached to Northern Beaches Police Area Command attended and found the bodies of two people located in a granny flat at the rear of the property,' they said. 'The bodies are yet to be formally identified.'

Woman to face court for allegedly stabbing mother and son in Lake Illawarra
Woman to face court for allegedly stabbing mother and son in Lake Illawarra

ABC News

time2 hours ago

  • ABC News

Woman to face court for allegedly stabbing mother and son in Lake Illawarra

A woman will face court today charged over the alleged stabbing of a woman and child in the New South Wales Illawarra region. Police allege a 27-year-old woman was driving with her two children, aged 10 and 3, along West Dapto Road at Wongawilli about 6pm yesterday when they were forced to stop by another vehicle. They will allege a woman known to the family then stabbed the mother and her 10-year-old son during an altercation. Both were treated at the scene for stab wounds, then flown to hospital in serious but stable conditions. The younger child was not injured, and a 59-year-old woman was arrested at a home in nearby Horsley soon after. She has been charged with two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and will appear at the Wollongong Local Court today. More to come.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store