Pictured is a US army veteran who was washed out to sea while attempting to rescue his wife and toddler son from the seas.
At Phuket, Thailand’s Nai Harn Beach on Sunday afternoon, James Everett du Bois, 49, went swimming with his Thai wife Siriarmorn Phetarwut, 49, and their three-year-old son Boonpat.
Around 4:50 p.m., a strong current is said to have carried the family farther out into the turbulent waters and away from the coast.
Mr. du Bois was dragged away by the powerful waves, but his wife was able to swim back to the beach. Lifeguards came to the rescue of their toddler kid.
Due to low visibility and heavy winds, the search was terminated at 8:10 p.m. Friday night after three hours of scouting the area by divers and rescue workers.
Drones and boats were sent out this morning to search surrounding islands and beaches as the effort got back underway.
From 1996 until 2022, Mr. du Bois, a native of Shelby, Ohio, served as a Supply Specialist in the US Army. In 2018, he left to serve as a missionary in Belize.
On Facebook, he frequently shared updates on his family, particularly his son. “My son is my joy, my pride, my motivation, my best friend, my life!” the pleased parent wrote.
The father of two American children said on social media that he and his family reside in Rawai, close to the beach where he vanished.
On earlier beach outings, he shared numerous photos and videos of his son with their Beagle, Bella.
One of Mr. du Bois’s kid’s photos had the caption, “I can’t imagine a life without my son!” He gives meaning to each and every day.
The 49-year-old mother also has a daughter, Kayla, who is older. In his birthday greeting, he stated, “Even though we live far away, I still love and miss you a lot.”
It looked like Mr. du Bois was selling motorcycles in the Rawai area, and he posted happy-looking client photos on social media.
“At 4:45 pm, the family was swimming approximately 10 meters from the shore when they were pulled into the sea by the current,” Rawai Mayor Arun Soros stated.
The American man is still missing, but the wife and boy are safe now. Although we are still looking for the individual, we think he may have drowned.
Between June and December, when the monsoon rainy season brings strong winds and rough water conditions, Thailand’s beaches are at their most perilous.
When the family apparently encountered trouble in the sea, Nai Harn Beach reportedly had a yellow flag flying, while other neighboring beaches had a red flag.
When there is a yellow flag, swimming is permitted, but swimmers should exercise caution because strong winds may create waves.
Witnesses reported to the local media that they observed waves off Nai Harn Beach as high as ten feet.
Mayor Soros has questioned why, in spite of the hazardous conditions, there was no red flag flying at the beach in front of local reporters.
