A BRITISH pensioner on holiday in Thailand has tragically drowned, while his wife was just metres away from him watching from the beach.
The 91-year-old man was swimming at Lanta Pura Beach Resort on Koh Lanta Island when the tragedy occurred.
He had been in the water for around an hour when he suddenly clutched his chest and began struggling to stay afloat in the morning of December 2, it has been reported.
His wife, 65, was on the sand nearby.
Lifeguards raced into the sea upon seeing the Brit, who was fitted with a pacemaker, flailing his hands before sinking under the surface.
Sadly, he was already lifeless when lifeguards pulled him ashore.
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Police Lieutenant Pongkorn Chuwait of the Koh Lanta Police Station rushed to the scene at 11 am local time after being notified by hotel staff.
He said: “A background check revealed that the deceased had no underlying medical conditions, but had a pacemaker implanted in his chest.
“His wife is not suspicious of the cause of death. The body was sent to the hospital for a post mortem examination.”
The man’s wife said they arrived at the resort in Krabi province on November 28 and were due to check out on December 3.
Beach drownings are a recurring safety concern in Thailand, especially in tourist hotspots like Phuket, Pattaya, and Krabi. The deaths often attributed to strong rip currents, lack of swimming skills, and disregard for warning signages.
The waters are most dangerous during the country’s rainy monsoon season, when red flags are placed in beaches to warn of dangerous sea conditions.
It comes as a British dad drowned after being swept out to sea by powerful waves while swimming with his partner in Thailand.
The 37-year-old was paddling at Freedom Beach in Phuket when an unexpectedly strong wave hit and a rip current dragged him below the surface.
Tourists pulled him ashore on Saturday and performed CPR but he could not be revived.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Chanan Mekchai of Patong Police Station said: “The incident happened at around 11.30am, and we were notified an hour later.
“He went to the beach with his wife at around 10am. While swimming, he was caught in strong waves and disappeared beneath the surface.
“Tourists on the beach rushed to help and managed to pull him from the water. They attempted CPR for first aid while waiting for the emergency service, but he could not be revived.”
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