British tourist found dead in Phuket storm drain after going missing on night out
20 November 2024, 22:26
A British tourist has been found dead in a Thai storm drain after vanishing on a night out.
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Locals on the island of Phuket found the 37-year-old face down in the water on Wednesday.
Emergency services attended the incident, but the tourist was pronounced on the scene.
The man, who is believed to be from Wiltshire, England, had been drinking alone while on a trip with his family, local media reports.
"[He] was with his family. He arrived in Phuket on November 17 and was staying at Seaview Hotel in the Patong area,” a source told Asia Pacific.
"We had not been able to contact him since about 10 pm on Tuesday night."
Police launched an investigation following reports from the Brit’s family that he had been missing since Tuesday evening.
He had been dead for around six hours when horrified locals found his body, Police Captain Phongsathorn said.
He added: "We have sent the tourist's body to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a thorough autopsy to determine the cause of death before handing it over to his family for religious ceremonies.
"We have checked the security camera and found no one assaulted him.
"He walked into the drainage ditch by himself at around 4 am and did not tell his family.
"I received a report from a resident about the body discovery before informing his family.
"Currently, we have to investigate further to determine the cause, while I don't know when the autopsy will be completed."
