Trang beach tragedy: 20 year old student missing as group ignores red flag warning

[webfact]

 

A 20 year old university student has gone missing while swimming with school friends on a beach in the southern province of Trang, Thailand.

 

The incident occurred on the beach in Libong Subdistrict, Kantang District, where the young man and three other students were swept away by a 3-meter wave. Locals and friends were able to save three students, but the young man remains missing.

 

In total, there was a group of 16 tourists, including the missing man and his friends, some of whom had set out to swim despite red warning flags on the beach. The group included the missing man’s friends, who tried to help when he started to struggle but ultimately lost strength and disappeared underwater.

 

As of 11pm yesterday search efforts have continued without success, despite the combined forces of local officials, Park Chief of the Mai Khao Beach National Park, locals, and local police, reported KhaoSod.

 

by Nattapong Westwood 

Picture courtesy of KhaoSod

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/trang-beach-tragedy-20-year-old-student-missing-as-group-ignores-red-flag-warning

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-08-01

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

[Skipalongcassidy]

Happens all over the world everyday... "you can't fix stupid"

[flyingtlger]

SAD! Very preventable but it's like the motorcycle accidents in Thailand, it's always going to happen and government doesn't do squat.....

[steven100]

very tragic event for all,  at 20yrs old he was just starting life.

poor boy.

VERY sad indeed.

[ChipButty]

I was down my local beach the other day it was wild nobody was in the water which was good to see, Maybe they should start fining people who ignore the red flags, 

[terryq]

20 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

I was down my local beach the other day it was wild nobody was in the water which was good to see, Maybe they should start fining people who ignore the red flags, 

Disagree. Instead they should ban rescue attempts of anyone who goes into the sea when red flags are flying.

 

It might seem harsh but why have other people risking their lives to assist the stupid.

 

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

SAD! Very preventable but it's like the motorcycle accidents in Thailand, it's always going to happen and government doesn't do squat.....

Red flags on the beach... ignore them at your peril.

[SiSePuede419]

First of all, you don't get "swept away" by 3 meter waves.  Waves only go towards the shore.

 

They got pulled out to sea by the rip current that pulls you straight out.

 

The only way to escape it is to swim at a 90° angle to the current.

 

Which the boys probably don't know what a 90° angle actually is because that lesson in geometry was probably canceled by some Thai holiday. ????

 

[bbbbooboo]

hmmmm... maybe they thought red colored flags were some sort of late new year celebration