A Spanish female tourist and her companion, a male French national, were reported missing in the eastern province of Trat after swimming in stormy seas.
Witnesses said the tourists decided to dive into the waters off Koh Chang’s Lonely Beach on Sunday morning.
Termsak Sertsri, chief of Moo 1 village in tambon Ko Chang Tai, Ko Chang district, said local residents alerted authorities that the pair entered the sea off Moo 4 village’s Lonely Beach around 7:00 a.m. in a strong storm with high waves.
According to Mr. Termsak, a group of rescue volunteers and local administrative officials from the Ko Chang safety center were ordered to start a search and rescue the missing tourists. Team members on jet skis were also deployed to an area 300 meters from shore.
The village chief said the 21-year-old Spanish woman had been found 300 meters south of the beach, also known as Tha Nam beach. Rescuers rushed her to shore and gave her first aid treatment, but she had no vital signs and was pronounced dead.
The 22-year-old male French tourist is still missing. Neither the woman nor the man has been identified.
Mr. Termsak said that the officers had erected a flag on the beach to alert other tourists against swimming in stormy seas.
The search was called off around 11:00 a.m. But volunteer rescuers continued to scan the area with binoculars to find the man, the village chief added.
The two international visitors had spent three days at the Nature Beach Resort Hotel. According to the village chief, the pair informed the hotel workers that they would leave on Sunday morning to watch the sunrise on Sunday morning.
However, the two went to Lonely Beach, which is on the island’s west side. The Mu Ko Chang National Park’s chief, Dusit Samutrakpong, reported that heavy rain and swells are currently hitting the region.
Visitors should remain cautious before entering the water, especially where a warning red flag has been waived.
