A desperate search is underway for a missing dad after he was washed away in a riptide at a Thai beach - as his wife and toddler swam to safety.
James Everett Du Bois, from America, went swimming with his Thai wife and 3-year-old toddler son, at the Nai Harn Beach in Phuket on June 9 afternoon. However, a powerful current swept the family away from the shore and deeper into the churning waters.
The Thai woman managed to swim back to the beach and the toddler was rescued by lifeguards, but James was dragged away in the strong waves. Divers and rescue personnel scoured the area until around 8:30 pm when the search was suspended due to poor visibility and strong winds. The operation resumed this morning.
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Rawai Mayor Arun Soros said: "At 4:45 pm, the family was swimming around 10 metres from the shore, but they were pulled by the current into the sea. The wife and boy are now safe, but the American man is still missing. We are continuing to search for the man but we believe he has drowned."
A riptide, often referred to as a rip current, is a strong, narrow current that flows from the shore out to sea, typically through a break in a sandbar or near structures such as piers. The powerful currents can quickly pull swimmers away from the shore, making them potentially deadly for beachgoers.
eThailand's beaches are the most dangerous between June and December when the monsoon rainy season brings strong winds, causing choppy conditions in the ocean. It comes after a brave 11-year-old girl tragically drowned in a hotel swimming pool while trying to save her little sister.
Mackenzie Cornell was at a swimming pool party at an Ohio Quality Inn hotel last Sunday when she spotted her sister, Mackenna, struggling in the deep end. However, she quickly got into trouble and there was no lifeguard on duty at the time of the tragic drowning.
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Emergency services were called to the hotel and emergency CPR was performed on the sisters. Mackenna was resuscitated and medics took over performing CPR on Mackenzie, who was rushed to hospital but was tragically pronounced dead.
"Her little sister went into the deep end of the pool and couldn’t swim very well and her big sister went to save her and she ultimately died,'" the girl's aunt Helen Cornell told WOWK. "There’s no greater love than giving herself for her sister."
Family and friends paid tribute to Mackenzie and said she was a kind and gentle soul. “She loves shopping. She loves Claire’s boutique and her sister. She’s funny and brilliant, and she can draw. She would draw us pictures and cards. Just caring and funny,” Helen added.
Mackenzie had just finished the fourth grade at Bloom Vernon Elementary where a vigil was held for her on Monday. "She was an absolute sweetheart. Very loving and kind," teacher Kristi Davis said.