Aussie woman missing, feared drowned off Phuket

PHUKET: -- Rescue workers are searching for an Australian tourist reported missing at Karon Beach yesterday.

Jennifer May, 44, was staying with a friend at the Phuket Orchid Resort at the south end of Karon Beach.

The friend reported Ms May missing after she lost sight of her at about 6pm, after Ms May said she was going for a swim.

Karon Municipality rescue workers and volunteers from other agencies launched an immediate search and rescue mission, but were unable to locate the missing woman.

They called the search off at 10pm.

The search resumed this morning, but so far without success

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-07-05

I saw them searching early this morning. Another possible drowning. RIP the lady.

I suppose it looked a bit calmer yesterday, but those currents are strong. Not the place to go swimming at this time of the year.

Pic to go with OP

Tourists in the water at Karon Beach, where Australian tourist Jennifer May disappeared in dangerous surf yesterday.

****

another Phuket media source says they have spotted a body offshore, and that she went swimming after sunset, 7pm,she and her friend had had only arrived that afternoon and had seen the red flags on the beach . . .

RIP, very sad for her friends and family.

The water was calm yesterday, and therefor dangerous, people don't realise there are strong rip currents.

Just to say

"I was wrong"

re my earlier post #3; I understand that her body has not been recovered.

Why the hell don't they just close Karon Beach for the high season? It isn't far to Kata beach which is safer.

Body of missing Aussie tourist found

The body of missing Aussie tourist Jennifer Laidley was found about a

kilometer offshore from Karon Beach this morning.

PHUKET: -- A Phuket lifeguard this morning found the body of missing Australian tourist Jennifer Laidley.

Uten Singsom, head of the Phuket Lifeguard Club contingent assigned to patrol Karon beach, said the discovery was made by fellow lifeguard Phachoke Jamjareonjan at about 8:15am today.

The body, recovered about one kilometer offshore from Nong Harn Lagoon at the north end of the beach, was immediately transported to Vachira Phuket Hospital.

Ms Laidley’s companion Lisa Cosland confirmed the identity this morning before her flight home to Australia this afternoon.

Ms Cosland said she wanted to thank the Karon Municipality Tourist Rescue service and all the other organizations who took part in the search for her friend.

The death reconfirms Karon’s reputation as the most deadly beach in Phuket because of its strong rip currents and long length, making it difficult to thoroughly patrol.

Lifeguards have repeatedly reported the biggest problem in safeguarding tourists' lives has being overconfident swimmers, mostly foreigners, ignoring the red “No Swimming” signs and entering the surf.

Many tourists believe it is safe to swim as long as they do not go in over their heads, but quickly panic and drown when knocked over by large waves or undertow and find themselves swept seaward by the strong current.

Many who have died in this way were experienced swimmers, including one 25-year-old lifeguard from Bahrain who drowned at Karon Beach in August last year.

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-07-07

Seems to be an almost monthly event. There are some strong rip currents off Karon beach.

Still a sad story though.

Seems to be an almost monthly event. There are some strong rip currents off Karon beach.

Still a sad story though.

Some monsoon months it's more than 1 person per month, I have witnessed some of these recoveries and it's a somber time.

RIP to the victim.

RIP Aussie tourist

so sad. rip & condolences to her family & friends.

Why the hell don't they just close Karon Beach for the high season? It isn't far to Kata beach which is safer.

Seems money comes before tourists lives. Yet another avoidable death.

Condolences to the family.

Instead of closing Karon Beach which would be adverse for tourism and those who can handle themselves out there .

Maby it is time to contract out lifeguard services to foreign lifeguards: That would be only Australian or Southern California lifeguards .

Thais bring in foreign engineers to design bridges ,subwalys and skytrains.

Instead of closing Karon Beach which would be adverse for tourism and those who can handle themselves out there .

Maby it is time to contract out lifeguard services to foreign lifeguards: That would be only Australian or Southern California lifeguards .

Thais bring in foreign engineers to design bridges ,subwalys and skytrains.

I'm sorry, but someone goes swimming after diner, having had a few drinks, on a beach where every 30 or so meters are red warning flags.

There is only person to blame for this death, and that is not the lifeguards nor the warning system.

RIP

Instead of closing Karon Beach which would be adverse for tourism and those who can handle themselves out there .

Maby it is time to contract out lifeguard services to foreign lifeguards: That would be only Australian or Southern California lifeguards .

Thais bring in foreign engineers to design bridges ,subwalys and skytrains.

morrobay - you have no idea.

If you care to look at the Phuket Lifeguard website you'll see the lifeguards are trained by Australians, and have been since 2003. Australian SLSC has representation on the board of the club. Dave Field has been a tireless and dedicated supporter of lifesaving on Phuket.

There are regular training sessions, such as one mentioned on their site, conducted by Surf Lifesaving Australia, led by David Field. The Royal Thai Navy will be working alongside the Australians as trainers. This is a joint project of the PPAO, Phuket Lifeguard Club and SurfLifesaving Australia.

Secondly, as has been stated earlier, she went swimming after dark - 7pm. In my experience over 20 years competing in swim events Oz/NZ (not USA though) I have not yet found a beach patrolled in the hours of darkness.

And before anybody says 'all Australians can swim like fish' - last year was a seven year record for drownings there, with 314 deaths (from Royal Life Saving 2010 National Drowning Report)