PHUKET: A Russian man drowned while swimming in the sea off Patong beach on Saturday morning.
Pol Maj Chaiyakorn Tangsakul, an investigator at Patong police station, said the incident was reported at 7.55am.
Officers arriving at the scene found rescue workers, lifeguards and personnel from Patong Hospital already present. Despite the medics’ efforts to perform a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the tourist, their attempts were unsuccesful.
The tourist’s wife told the police she and her husband Rafaylovich Pavel, 53, were Russian nationals. They were staying at a hotel near the beach and had decided to go for a swim on Saturday morning.
Her husband had swum about 7 kilometres away from the shore amid strong waves. When he began to drown, she called out for help. Lifeguards at the beach rushed into the sea to bring him back to shore.Despite the response of rescue workers and medics who performed CPR, the man had succumbed to the drowning.
Police have notified the Russian consular office and the Russian embassy about the incident on this southern resort island.