Tourist Dies While Snorkelling off Bang Saray

A great shame. RIP

11 minutes ago, 1tooth said:

A great shame. RIP

Yes.

Such a great shame.

Even for strong swimmers, one wrong gulp of water can cause panic, and then panic leads to more panic, and the final bad outcome.

Has happened to me a few times: Once in Belize, 1990. Once off the Northeast Coast of Taiwan, 2010.

One never forgets.

Best to not swim alone in these conditions, far offshore.

Still, the reefs in Belize were quite beautiful.

But not worth dying for,....maybe....

An unfortunate, but avoidable death.

Snorkeling with epilepsy requires strict safety measures due to the risk of drowning if a seizure occurs.

While it is generally safer than scuba diving, it still requires a trained buddy, shallow water, and a properly fitted life vest.

Individuals with well-controlled seizures can snorkel safely, but those with frequent, uncontrolled seizures should avoid it as if their life depended on it!

15 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Yes.

Such a great shame.

Even for strong swimmers, one wrong gulp of water can cause panic, and then panic leads to more panic, and the final bad outcome.

Has happened to me a few times: Once in Belize, 1990. Once off the Northeast Coast of Taiwan, 2010.

One never forgets.

Best to not swim alone in these conditions, far offshore.

Still, the reefs in Belize were quite beautiful.

But not worth dying for,....maybe....

You didn't read the article. It has nothing to do with gulping water:

He had a pre-existing medical condition, epilepsy, and it is believed he may have suffered a sudden seizure, causing him to lose consciousness and fall face down into the water

Don't swim or snorkel if you have epilepsy, or be sure to take your medication and don't swim unsupervised.

1 hour ago, JensenZ said:

don't swim unsupervised

I stated: best not to swim alone

1 hour ago, JensenZ said:

Don't swim or snorkel if you have epilepsy, or be sure to take your medication and don't swim unsupervised.

We all take risks in life, and he did too, on his own premises. We can’t stop living just because there’s a chance we might die. It’s an unfortunate death, and I’m sure he simply wanted to live like everyone else and not be defined by his condition.

People with epilepsy can do most everyday activities—even drive or skydive—if their seizures are well controlled and they have medical approval

3 hours ago, Hummin said:

We all take risks in life, and he did too, on his own premises. We can’t stop living just because there’s a chance we might die. It’s an unfortunate death, and I’m sure he simply wanted to live like everyone else and not be defined by his condition.

People with epilepsy can do most everyday activities—even drive or skydive—if their seizures are well controlled and they have medical approval

I hope you don't have a family and give them this lousy advice.

Is that not what I recommended? Take medication and don't swim unattended? With those precautions, he should be able to enjoy as much snorkelling as he likes, but we are all defined by our limitations. There's no need to take risks if you don't have to. I don't suppose you've ever scuba dived, because one of the primary rules is never to dive alone. This guy should not have snorkelled alone.

How much risk a person should take is not always up to the person, but their family and responsibilities. Most people don't live in a vacuum and have other people who care if they live or die.

What's really sad is that so many wait all year for a vacation, all over the world, and then pass away doing something they love or something new they always wanted to. Swimming and being attacked by a shark in California, Florida or Australia, climbing a mountain and falling off a cliff, skiing and an avalanche, snakebites, muggings, etc. Worse is doing the same and losing a child. I only hpe for better planning and safety precautions, although many are risk takers and it happens.

On 2/22/2026 at 4:18 AM, Georgealbert said:

He had a pre-existing medical condition, epilepsy

That's why Julius Caesar didn't go near the water, much less go snorkeling.

5 hours ago, JensenZ said:

I hope you don't have a family and give them this lousy advice.

Is that not what I recommended? Take medication and don't swim unattended? With those precautions, he should be able to enjoy as much snorkelling as he likes, but we are all defined by our limitations. There's no need to take risks if you don't have to. I don't suppose you've ever scuba dived, because one of the primary rules is never to dive alone. This guy should not have snorkelled alone.

How much risk a person should take is not always up to the person, but their family and responsibilities. Most people don't live in a vacuum and have other people who care if they live or die.

The good old days

https://www.facebook.com/reel/862561526840797/?fs=e&fs=e

He was an 35 year old man, and maybe no seizures for a long time, what do we know? Every man has its destiny, and even I have retired from all extreme sports, who knows what comes around the next corner ?