Snr Sgt Maj Boonyarit Intakarn of the Phuket Tourist Police was notified of the man’s death by staff from Patong Hospital at 10:30am.
Snr Sgt Maj Boonyarit said that the man* was seen swimming alone at the very northern end of the beach, just a few hundred metres from the “Tourist Service Center” launched by Tourist Police only in September. (See story here.)
The man was seen struggling in the water after he had been dragged far from the beach.
Lifeguards from a local resort nearby rushed to bring him ashore. The man was unconscious and unresponsive, and so lifeguards began performing CPR, Snr Sgt Maj Boonyarit said.
The man was rushed to Patong Hospital but pronounced dead on arrival, he noted.
The Russian embassy officials have been notified of the man’s death, Snr Sgt Maj Boonyarit confirmed.
Rachen Phuntarakit, the Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) at Karon Municipality, explained to The Phuket News this evening that no lifeguards provided by Karon Municipality patrol the far northern end of Karon beach.
“That section of beach is patrolled by lifeguards provided by the resort,” he confirmed.
* * The man was identified as Altaf Sharifulin, originally from Moscow, in Phuket on holiday with his wife.