Police Search For American Student Missing In Phuket Surf

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Police search for American student missing in Phuket surf

Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- A search party of 20 Phuket Marine Police officers are scouring Patong Bay this morning in search of an American student who disappeared in the surf while swimming late last night.

The 21-year-old student, whose name police have yet to release, disappeared at about 10pm while swimming with three friends in front of the Phuket Graceland Resort & Spa, where the students are staying.

The missing student, from Chicago in the United States, came to Phuket with fellow students from Arizona State University, said Lt Col Panya Chaichana of Phuket Marine Police.

“The students came to Phuket for their summer program. They are accompanied by a teacher from the university,” he added.

The three other students made it back to the beach last night and raised the alarm when they noticed their friend was missing.

“The Marine Police sent officers to search for him last night, but they have yet to find him,” Col Panya said.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16175.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-06-13

[NomadJoe]

Swimming in the low season surf during the day is unwise. At night? Madness.

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Body recovered in Phuket search for Joshua Shane

Phuket Gazette

Lt Jeerayuth Onthong of the Phuket Marine Police said his officers had yet to officially confirm whether the recovered body is that of missing American student Joshua Shane. Photo: Chutharat Plerin

PHUKET: Phuket Marine Police have yet to officially confirm whether a human body found washed ashore at Kalim Beach this morning is that of missing American student Joshua Shane, who disappeared while swimming in Patong on Tuesday night.

Lt Jeerayuth Onthong of the Phuket Marine Police, who headed the search mission, told the Gazette he was notified of the discovery at about 10am.

“A body was found washed ashore at Kalim Beach. We have dispatched one of our search teams to try to identify whether or not it is that of Joshua Shane,” he told the Phuket Gazette.

“The body was found by a local resident who contacted a local hotel, which in turn notified the teacher in charge of the group Mr Shane was travelling with,” he said.

Mr Shane, a 21-year-old student of Arizona State University (ASU), was among 20 students from ASU who flew to Thailand to study under an “Urban Sustainability and Planning in Thailand” project.

The native of the US state of Kansas disappeared while night swimming with three friends at Patong Beach on Tuesday night.

The search and rescue mission was called off early yesterday afternoon.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16178.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-06-14

[LivinginKata]

Swimming in the low season surf during the day is unwise. At night? Madness.

Agreed, madness. Still a tragic loss of a young life. RIP

[phuturatica]

Swimming in the low season surf during the day is unwise. At night? Madness.

Agreed, madness. Still a tragic loss of a young life. RIP

Agreed also.

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Body of Phuket drowning victim Joshua Shane recovered, identified

Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- The body of Phuket drowning victim Joshua Shane was recovered from the pounding surf at Patong Beach this afternoon and has been positively identified.

The body was discovered at 2:40pm in the water off Loma Park, not far from where the 21-year-old American student went missing in heavy surf on Tuesday night.

Rescue workers from the Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation arrived at 3pm to transport the body to Patong Hospital.

The body was identified by Juthathip Maneepong, a Thai teacher working with the Arizona State University research team. The late Mr Shane arrived in Phuket with that team.

A hotel staff member further confirmed that the swim trunks on the body matched those Mr Shane was wearing when he and his friends left the Phuket Graceland Resort & Spa, where he and his friends were staying, on Tuesday night.

Sources told the Gazette that the students received no warning of the dangers of swimming at island beaches during their stay. Some, including the late Mr Shane, were hesitant to enter the surf.

They felt emboldened when they noticed a sign indicating a “swimming area”. In the visual cacophony of the Patong beachfront, none noticed red flags flying in darkness to indicate the dangerous conditions, the source said.

A classmate of the late Mr Shane also confirmed the body as that of Mr Shane to the Phuket Gazette, but declined to let her name be published. She declined to comment further without first signing a waiver form with her university.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16184.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-06-15

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NEWS UPDATE: Phuket Police to order DNA confirmation of Joshua Shane's body

Phuket Gazette

A woman contemplates entering the surf in front of Loma Park at Patong Beach, where Joshua Shane's body was pulled ashore this afternoon. Photo: Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai

PHUKET: -- Phuket Police will ask the Central Institute of Forensic Science in Bangkok to conduct DNA tests to confirm that the body recovered off Patong Beach yesterday afternoon is that of missing American student Joshua Shane.

The institute is headed by the well-known Pornthip Rojanasund, who spearheaded the huge task of identifying victims of the 2004 tsunami.

“Although people close to Mr Shane have already positively identified the body as his, the only way we can release it without the relatives travelling to Thailand is by conducting DNA tests and comparing the results with samples provided by relatives,” Capt Jirasak Boonsang of the Patong Police told the Phuket Gazette.

Mr Shane’s body was first spotted by an Australian tourist riding a rented jet-ski about 300 meters off the north end of Patong Beach.

The tourist reported the dreadful discovery to a jet-ski operator and a lifeguard, who together went into the surf and recovered the body.

The location where Mr Shane’s body was found was only about 200 meters north from where he disappeared while swimming on Tuesday night.

Additional reporting by Kritsada Mueanhawong

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16187.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-06-15

[sportsman69]

Quote [.......] "“ Although people close to Mr Shane have already positively identified the body as his, the only way we can release it without the relatives travelling to Thailand is by conducting DNA tests and comparing the results with samples provided by relatives,” Capt Jirasak Boonsang of the Patong Police told the Phuket Gazette.

If positive identification by more than one person who obviously know the deceased is not good enough but must have DNA, arouses my suspicions about the reason.

What an exercise in futility the Phuket Gazette remains to be. A legend in their own minds. 500 internal server errors on a regular basis, wife still waiting of delivery of prize won many months ago in a " do you know Phuket competition ", which was about the only decent thing they had going, despite 3 unanswered emails. This weeks weird news over 2 months old. Etc; Etc;

Today I tried to post what I thought was a respectful, relevant and enquiring comment to this story and got another 500 'points'. Do I win a prize when I get 10,000? No luck there so I'll post it here.

R.I.P Shane

Is this another attempt at extortion. No doubt all this transport, testing and morgue fees will come at a cost.

Will his family be asked for payment as was a good friends family for the 20,000 B overstay fee he had incurred, in addition to all other expenses, before releasing his ashes and personal effects for repatriation to his homeland.

Edited June 15, 2012 by sportsman69