A British tourist has drowned on a beach in Thailand after disregarding warnings from locals to avoid deep water. Gerald Horace Crawford, 61, from Chichester, West Sussex, had been drinking heavily before he was seen staggering along the sand and walking into the calm sea with his shoes on. Witnesses reported that he ignored shouts from onlookers urging him to return to shore, as the water in that section was deeper than other parts of the beach in Pattaya.
Incident Details
The incident occurred on Wednesday evening, April 22, around 6:30 pm local time. Crawford vanished beneath the surface and was later seen floating unconscious about 15 minutes afterward. Lifeguards pulled him from the water, and rescue volunteers performed CPR before rushing him to Pattaya Hospital. However, he could not be saved.
Witness Account
Boat worker Wasan Wannarit, 25, stated: "The man who drowned was already drunk before coming to the beach. I saw him staggering across the road and then sitting on the beach. He had been drinking since the afternoon. He stayed there for a while, then I noticed him thrashing around and walking into the water. It looked like he fell face-down into the water, which was about chest-deep. At first, I thought he was just swimming, but after around 15 minutes, I noticed something was wrong. He was just floating still in the water so I rushed in to help pull him out. He had no pulse when I checked. I immediately called rescue workers and the police for help."
Police Investigation
Police from Pattaya City Station are conducting a full investigation. No signs of assault were found. Authorities recovered from Crawford's pockets a UK driving licence, a keycard from the Hard Rock Hotel where he had been staying, and some banknotes. Police Lieutenant Colonel Suthiraphan Tapsri said: "There were no strong waves that day, so the incident was not caused by sea conditions. We believe he may have suffered a diabetic blackout in the water, as he had an underlying condition. He has visited Pattaya many times before and was familiar with the area, although he had no family here. He came alone that day. A local said he had been warned not to enter that spot because it was deep. He initially returned to shore, but later went back into the water unnoticed and disappeared."
Broader Context
Beach drownings remain a recurring safety concern in Thailand, particularly in tourist hotspots such as Phuket, Pattaya, and Krabi. These deaths are often attributed to strong rip currents, lack of swimming skills, and disregard for warning signage. The waters are most dangerous during the rainy monsoon season, when red flags are placed on beaches to warn of hazardous sea conditions.
