Today's Updating Report
PHUKET: Searchers were looking today for an American university student who disappeared last night while taking a swim at Patong beach. Another American student was admitted to hospital for treatment.
The missing man was named today as Joshua Shane, 21, a student in a party of 20 from Arizona State University who came to Phuket this week to offer suggestions on a sustainable transport system for the island.
The group had been working in Chiang Mai and Bangkok for a week each and intended to stay on Phuket for a week, one of the group said at a three-star resort in Patong today.
In the US, a spokesperson at the university said: "ASU is deeply saddened and we offer our condolences to the family and friends of Joshua Shane.
''We are focusing on counseling services for students and faculty participating in the program and those who may have known the student to help ease their pain at this difficult time."
Some of the group were being counselled at a hospital on Phuket today as Marine Police and jet-ski riders looked for the missing American.
It's understood that four students went swimming last night about 10pm, leaving one person in the group on the beach.
Once the alarm was raised, some of the other Americans went to the beach where a scuba diver and a jet-ski operator continued the search until after midnight.
It is not known at this stage whether anyone who went to the beach last night had been warned about the dangers.
Another person in the university group said today she had found out about the dangers of swimming on Phuket by chance, over dinner.
The group arrived on Monday and intended to stay a week, with next weekend due to be a holiday.
As well as sustainable transport, they were looking at improving the tsunami warning system and disaster prevention. The university has sent students on a practical mission to Thailand each year for about five years, Phuketwan was told.
Local Patong volunteers along the well-known beach on Phuket's holiday west coast alerted police by walkie-talkie that the man was missing about 10pm.
If the American student joins the growing number of tourists who have drowned at Phuket's beaches this monsoon season and in previous monsoon seasons, pressure is likely to grow for authorities to become more serious about an intense layer of warnings.
Promotion of Phuket as a year-round beach destination with the monsoon season deceptively described as ''summer'' leaves many tourists with a false inmpression about safety in the water.
To protect Phuket's reputation as a safe destination, authorities should consider making a video for all flights to screen on descent to Phuket, and with all resorts obliged to issue a verbal warning to guests on arrival.
Phuketwan knows of tourists who have gone for a swim upon arrival in the darkness, simply because they have come for a beach swimming holiday and have not been warned about the dangers.
Signs are of no value after dark. The three-star resort in Patong does not feature warning signs at reception.
There is a sign at the point where Joshua Shane went missing, saying ''Swimming Area''. There are no warning signs.
On beaches further south at Karon and Kata, where several tourists have drowned, warning signs have been installed.
However, Patong council has decided not to erect warning signs.
Phuketwan advocates the creation of a single Phuket Beach Authority to replace local councils and control every aspect of Phuket's beaches, including unwanted privatisation, environmental protection and sustainability, and tourist safety.
Phuketwan knows of tourists who have gone for a swim upon arrival in the darkness, simply because they have come for a beach swimming holiday and have not been warned about the dangers.
AKA Darwinism at work....come on !..fair enough warning of dangerous ocean conditions, but warning not to swim at night????
Sorry for the guy and friends and family, but ''common sense'' or lack of, is the key word.
Posted by davidj949 on June 13, 2012 13:19
Editor Comment:
Why does darkness make a swim less safe? As long as you know where the beach is, whether there's light on the water has little to do with safety.