Authorities continue to search for two Filipino tourists, identified as Angelo Cortez, 29 and Noah Ibay, 43, who remain missing from Phuket’s Freedom Beach after swimming in stormy weather on Wednesday afternoon.
On Thursday, Mr. Apichet Yim-on, head of the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation rescue team, told Thai PBS World that the rescue operation had to be suspended due to heavy rain and high seas.
He said that two Thai fishermen had also fallen into the sea off the same beach. One made it back to shore while the other went missing. His body was recovered on Friday morning. He was identified as Prawit Pipatchanachai, 38, a resident of Tambon Yanglor, Sriboonreung District, Nongbualamphu province.
His body has been transferred to Patong Hospital for autopsy.
According to rescue workers, the beach is not currently open to the public so, contrary to a previous report, ‘No Swimming’ signs are not displayed.
One member of the group of 13 Filipino tourists reportedly visited the beach last year. Impressed with its beauty he recommended it to his friends. They asked their van driver to take them halfway and used GPS to guide them down to the beach.
Apichet said that, last year, two Chinese tourists had also gone missing at Freedom Beach.
