The tourists ignored red flag warnings posted along the beach, one lifeguard said.
“The incident took place where red flags were posted on the beach. This happens in the same place nearly every day. People ignore red flags,” he added.
Vitanya Chuayuan, Deputy Chief of the Phuket Lifeguard Service, explained that the tourists rescued from danger yesterday were aged in their 20s to 30s.
“There were strong storm-condition waves at Nai Harn Beach. They went out to surf but they were not able to make it back to shore and ended up about 400 meters from the beach,” she told The Phuket News.
A couple of the surfers managed to make it back safely, but a lifeguard had to take a paddle board out and recover at least one of the tourists, she added.
“We don’t know the tourists’ names. We think they might have been Scandinavian. Thankfully none of them were injured, and so they were not taken to hospital,” Ms Vitanya said.
Swimmers ignoring red warning flags and even verbal warnings have been the bane of Phuket’s lifeguards for years, with many tourist – Thai and foreign – ending up in need of rescue. Far too often, the consequences of ignoring the warnings has been fatal.