Swimmer disappears off Nai Thon Beach after ignoring red flags in Phuket
Swimmer disappears off Nai Thon Beach after ignoring red flags in Phuket — confirmed details at this stage for Phuket readers.
A man disappeared after entering the sea at Nai Thon Beach in Phuket on Friday evening, May 15, despite red-flag warnings banning swimming. The incident happened at about 6.30pm off Moo 4 in Sakhu, Thalang, where strong winds and waves of more than 2 meters pulled him offshore before lifeguards could reach him.
Officials searched the surrounding area after the man vanished but had not found him before suspending the operation at 7pm. Authorities said the search would continue.
Shore search focuses on rocks and beachline
Heavy surf on Saturday prevented teams from going out on the water, forcing the search to remain on land. Officers concentrated on rocky sections and along the beachfront because sea conditions were too dangerous for a marine operation.
Investigators also found a suspected vehicle belonging to the missing man in the beach car park. The silver-bronze Toyota Camry, bearing Chiang Rai registration กธ 4336, was taken to Sakhu Police Station for examination and to help trace relatives.
Lifeguard says currents were strong at low tide
Pongsapit Prateep Na Thalang, 18, a Nai Thon lifeguard who saw the incident, said he was clearing the beach between the wooden bridge and the public park between 6.30pm and 6.40pm. He saw about five to 10 foreign visitors standing near the scene, but no one appeared to notice anyone in distress.
He then spotted a man caught beyond the breaking waves during low tide, when the current was running hard, and ran to get fins for a rescue attempt. When he returned, the swimmer had disappeared into what he described as a swirling current area that can easily drag weak swimmers out to sea.
From his observations, the missing person was a Thai man about 20 years old who had arrived alone. The lifeguard said red flags had been posted along the beach since morning, and beachgoers were warned again at about 6pm; a day earlier, two similar incidents ended with both swimmers brought safely ashore.
Source: https://www.thaipost.net/district-news/997552/
