Irish diver’s fate revealed on Thailand’s ‘Death Island’

[webfact]

Picture courtesy of The Daily Mail

 

UPDATE

 

by Bob Scott

In a heartbreaking twist that has sent shockwaves through a small Irish village, the tragic fate of a young Irish diver discovered lifeless on a Thai island has been made public.

 

The body of Robert “Robby” Kinlan was found on January 9 in Koh Tao, ominously dubbed “Death Island” due to a chilling pattern of tourist fatalities.

Initial post-mortem examinations have pointed towards acute pulmonary cardiac failure as the cause of his untimely demise, but as investigations continue, the mystery surrounding his death only deepens as no information has been revealed to why his heart failed.

“His death was very unexpected,” shared Tracy King, his heartbroken mother, when speaking with the Irish Daily Mail.

The 21 year old, a skilled free diver and master diver, left for Thailand on November 20 last year in high spirits, obtaining two diving qualifications shortly after his arrival, said Robby’s mother.

 

“He was in a really good place mentally and his normal self.”

 

Picture of Robby courtesy of Sunday World

Hailing from the picturesque village of Quilty in County Clare, Robby had set his sights on the vibrant diving havens in Southeast Asia.

“He just walked in one day and said, ‘I am going to Thailand. I have already booked the ticket.’ It was where all the diving was. He was doing very, very well over there and supported himself through his diving qualifications.”

 

Grieving friends have set up a fundraiser to bring Robby’s body back to Ireland, amassing nearly 45,000 euros (1.6 million baht) by Wednesday morning. Paying tribute to the vivacious backpacker, a close friend said he was the kind of person who lit up every room with his kindness and warmth.

 

“He was always the first to help others, putting their needs before his own without a second thought.”

 

In his final days, Robby’s dreams came alive amid Koh Tao’s azure depths, as he free dived and scuba-dived in the place that brought him boundless joy, surrounded by an ever-growing circle of friends.

 

His untimely passing has cast a dark shadow over what should have been the adventure of a lifetime, leaving those who knew him grappling for answers and mourning a life tragically cut short.

 

RELATED TOPIC

Heartbroken Irish mum honours ‘special son’ lost on Koh Tao 
https://aseannow.com/topic/1348669-heartbroken-irish-mum-honours-‘special-son’-lost-on-koh-tao/

 

 

Source: The Thaiger 

-- 2025-01-16

 

 

[Centigrade32]

Comments here from certain members are just sickening. Perhaps good to be reminded of the kind of people who roam this earth.

[Will B Good]

1 minute ago, Centigrade32 said:

 

Such disgusting comments from some here. Jealousy over someone else's money.

 

Exactly……someone else's money.

[Centigrade32]

1 minute ago, Will B Good said:

 

Exactly……someone else's money.

 

Yes, so nothing to do with you. You don't care about the boy dying, only about the fact that so many have decided to donate. Somehow them having access to that money has triggered your jealousy gene. Repulsive really.

[Will B Good]

1 minute ago, Centigrade32 said:

 

Yes, so nothing to do with you. You don't care about the boy dying, only about the fact that so many have decided to donate. Somehow them having access to that money has triggered your jealousy gene. Repulsive really.

500-1000 deaths of this nature each year for men in their mid-twenties……so very unfortunate that he happened to be one of them.

 

So how does that indicate I don’t care about a boy dying?

 

Regarding the money……”Catch yourself on”…….

[Centigrade32]

Just now, Will B Good said:

500-1000 deaths of this nature each year for men in their mid-twenties……so very unfortunate that he happened to be one of them.

 

So how does that indicate I don’t care about a boy dying?

 

Regarding the money……”Catch yourself on”…….

 

They is nothing that you have written that indicates that you care about anything other than the money.

[Will B Good]

Just now, Centigrade32 said:

 

They is nothing that you have written that indicates that you care about anything other than the money.

 

 

so very unfortunate that he happened to be one of them…..????

[Centigrade32]

3 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

 

so very unfortunate that he happened to be one of them…..????

 

Yeah...such a touching statement. Delivered in a matter of fact manner. Then straight on to multiple posts about the money. Why not just leave it, rather than coming out with such a disgusting and uncalled-for accusation? What is it to you? Did you lose a son?

It's just who you are.

[Iron Tongue]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The 21 year old, a skilled free diver and master diver, left for Thailand on November 20 last year in high spirits, obtaining two diving qualifications shortly after his arrival, said Robby’s mother.

I suspect that his diving quals may have been exaggerated by a bit.  If he was already a certified Master Diver (50 dives), I don't know of any additional diving quals that someone could get so quickly, let alone 2.   As a certified Master Diver, the next step would have been pursuing his DiveMaster cert, which would have required at least 10 more dives and a lot of time & training.

I think he very likely rushed his ocean dives before he was ready and got himself killed, perhaps even a heart attack.

[frank83628]

The articles are slightly conflicting, this one says free diver & master diver, another says he had just completed his advanced scuba course, which is the next level up from the initial open water certification.

[ukrules]

Ah yes, there's a lot of this kind of thing going around lately.

Know of a couple of cases myself. People dropping dead, brain bleeds, clots in the lungs, etc, etc. All young.

The old, no idea but it's noticeable in the young.

[Wavel]

My condolences to the family for the sad loss. I don’t know the circumstances of the young lad’s death, but Unfortunately in Thailand corruption is rife in every single warp of life & wherever a Bhat can be made it will be. I have never dived myself but have met quite a few in the past and have been told that when the bottles are filled perhaps they don’t get filled to 100% so there’s a scim off the top for the price of the bottle. As I say I don’t know the circumstances but this is a practice that goes on.

[Robin]

Koh Tao is a 'holiday island' and  lots of young people having a good time.  Possibly easily available dink and drugs; local 'home -brew alcohol ' a potent drink is on sale in many shops  at low cost, and possibly drugs availabl as well.  Too much partying with strong drink and drugs, yabba (speed) and Ice (crack cocaine0, magic mushrooms,  and even heroin.  Ganga is now legal in Thailand.  So, youth free from any parental control just might indulge to excess, with fatal circumstances.

It is not unknown for young people on holiday in UK to drink themselves senseless, so would it be any different in Thailand  with the local firewater so strong and so cheap?.  Locals are veryt tolerant of such bhaviour and local plod is not going to waste effort with D&D charges.  Local mafia will rejoice in the booming market for drugs.

 

[Captain Flack]

A number of off topic post and the following replies have been removed.

 

@frank83628 this topic is “Irish diver’s fate revealed on Thailand’s ‘Death Island” and not your covid vacine conspiracies.

[digger70]

3 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

Agree 100%…..you can see the Euro signs spinning in their eyes.

Tragic to use this as a money spinner,Where  is his Travel  Insurance? No excuses.

Make it a Law  that one Must have Proof of an Travel or Other Insurance .

That should stop the  people from Begging the Public.

[Moonlover]

35 minutes ago, Wavel said:

My condolences to the family for the sad loss. I don’t know the circumstances of the young lad’s death, but Unfortunately in Thailand corruption is rife in every single warp of life & wherever a Bhat can be made it will be. I have never dived myself but have met quite a few in the past and have been told that when the bottles are filled perhaps they don’t get filled to 100% so there’s a scim off the top for the price of the bottle. As I say I don’t know the circumstances but this is a practice that goes on.

This is totally irrelevant to Robby's death. All divers check the contents of their cylinders for pressure and gas mix if using Nitrox which many do nowadays. Even if the pressure was a bit low, (which sounds like bar stool gossip to me) it would have no bearing on the cause of death.

[Moonlover]

3 minutes ago, Justanotherone said:

he will light up the room one more time... why bring the whole body over?  buddist cremation 50-100k?

He came from Ireland. Good Catholics don't do Buddhist cremations.

[MikeandDow]

23 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

He came from Ireland. Good Catholics don't do Buddhist cremations.

Cremations are just not only for Buddhist, Catholics can be cremated,  The Vatican lifted the ban on cremation in 1963.

[Phillip9]

1 hour ago, Wavel said:

I have never dived myself but have met quite a few in the past and have been told that when the bottles are filled perhaps they don’t get filled to 100% so there’s a scim off the top for the price of the bottle. As I say I don’t know the circumstances but this is a practice that goes on.

 

Part of the standard diving equipment that all diving gear has is a pressure gauge that indicates how much air is in the tank.  Divers always check the pressure before the dive and frequently while under water. 

[Moonlover]

11 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

39 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

He came from Ireland. Good Catholics don't do Buddhist cremations.

 

11 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

Cremations are just not only for Buddhist, Catholics can be cremated,  The Vatican lifted the ban on cremation in 1963.

Yes that is quite true, but the very fact that the family are going to such lengths to have his body repatriated is indicative that they prefer the traditional way. And burial is still the most common way in Ireland. 

[soalbundy]

50 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

He came from Ireland. Good Catholics don't do Buddhist cremations.

He died where he died, a few mumbled words from priest wont change anything but I'm pragmatic.

[Hummin]

3 hours ago, frank83628 said:

The articles are slightly conflicting, this one says free diver & master diver, another says he had just completed his advanced scuba course, which is the next level up from the initial open water certification.

you also have Master freediver which you easily can optain after 4 - 6 months or less only if you living at Koh Tao. The Freediver master is only one month class after progressing from advanced class

4 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

He died where he died, a few mumbled words from priest wont change anything but I'm pragmatic.

As trough as said. 

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, soalbundy said:

2 hours ago, Moonlover said:

He came from Ireland. Good Catholics don't do Buddhist cremations.

 

1 hour ago, soalbundy said:

He died where he died, a few mumbled words from priest wont change anything but I'm pragmatic.

I share that view with you, but we're not his family. Tradition runs deep in the Irish soul.

[portisaacozzy]

8 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

Exactly……someone else's money.

you will never understnd the Irish ,helping others is in there DNA, St Patrick drove all the snakes out of ireland,i think he missed a few. !

[BritScot]

6 hours ago, Wavel said:

My condolences to the family for the sad loss. I don’t know the circumstances of the young lad’s death, but Unfortunately in Thailand corruption is rife in every single warp of life & wherever a Bhat can be made it will be. I have never dived myself but have met quite a few in the past and have been told that when the bottles are filled perhaps they don’t get filled to 100% so there’s a scim off the top for the price of the bottle. As I say I don’t know the circumstances but this is a practice that goes on.

Bizzare! Obviously know nothing as you said but I would question the fools you talk to as their knowledge is also zero. Tanks are filled to pressure. Before  you dive you check your pressure gauge and carry out a sniff test of the air for normal scuba then rebreather is a totally different set up but again it is done by pressure and O2 persentage. 

[KhunHeineken]

Is it know if he was free diving or scuba diving at the time? 

 

One is a lot more dangerous than the other. 

 

One can really push the limits beyond their capabilities when free diving. 

[Liverpool Lou]

8 hours ago, Iron Tongue said:

I think he very likely rushed his ocean dives before he was ready and got himself killed

"Got himself killed"?   He died in his hotel room lying on the bed.

[Liverpool Lou]

6 hours ago, Wavel said:

My condolences to the family for the sad loss. I don’t know the circumstances of the young lad’s death, but Unfortunately in Thailand corruption is rife in every single warp of life & wherever a Bhat can be made it will be. I have never dived myself but have met quite a few in the past and have been told that when the bottles are filled perhaps they don’t get filled to 100% so there’s a scim off the top for the price of the bottle. As I say I don’t know the circumstances but this is a practice that goes on.

Died in his hotel room, nothing to do with unfilled tanks.

[Liverpool Lou]

6 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Even if the pressure was a bit low, (which sounds like bar stool gossip to me) it would have no bearing on the cause of death.

Particularly as he died on his hotel bed.

[Liverpool Lou]

22 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

Is it know if he was free diving or scuba diving at the time? 

Neither, he was in his hotel room.