A man from the UK who died after being swept out to sea on his honeymoon in Thailand was a doctor, an inquest has heard. Ali Mohammed Mian, 34, died just two days after arriving at Kata Noi Beach in Phuket, a picturesque island in the south of the country popular with tourists.
He was staying at the five star Katathani Phuket Beach Resort when he decided to go for a paddle in choppy waters. The opening of his inquest at West London Coroners Court heard was swept out from the shore while swimming in a strong current on 19 July this year.
Local police claim he ignored red warning flags telling swimmers not to brave the rough sea. Thai national Surasit Phonglaohaphan, 55, also died off the shore of the pristine beach but the pair are not believed to have been swimming or holidaying together.
A Thai police spokesperson said: "Our station received notification at 5pm from rescue volunteers that lifeguards had rescued two drowning tourists from the sea. Both of them were unconscious so CPR was performed. One of them had signs of a pulse. Both were taken to the Chalong Hospital but later died.
"We were informed that there was a red warning flag on the beach that the tourists had ignored to go swimming in the sea."
Conditions in the rainy monsoon season are said to have made staying afloat even more difficult. Lifeguards and ambulance crews rushed to save Mian, from Isleworth in West London, but he died later.
Court documents stated: “Two tourists had gone into the water and had been swept away from the shore and were drowning. Lifeguards had been seen going to their assistance and pulling them both out.
“A rescue foundation had assisted in providing first aid before taking them to Chalong Hospital, but they later died. The investigator together with the physician has performed post-mortem examinations of the deceased at the hospital.”
The documents said recorded his cause of death as presumed asphyxia by drowning but a formal ruling on his cause of death cannot be made until a full inquest has taken place. Dr Anton van Dellen, Assistant Coroner for North West London, adjourned the case for a full inquest on a date which has not yet been set.
