Four foreign divers who went missing off the coast of Samae San in Chon Buri were found safe yesterday evening, after a search involving multiple agencies stretched over several hours.
The divers, all experienced and certified, had entered the water for technical diving training during the day. When they failed to resurface at the scheduled time, a large-scale search and rescue operation was launched, combining sea and air units.
Sattahip district chief Nattawut Anuyotha oversaw the search alongside Sattahip Police Station superintendent Pol Col Khomsan Khamtunkaew, as worried relatives waited anxiously for news.
At 8.45pm, officers from the Naval Special Warfare Command, known as the navy’s frogmen unit, spotted the group floating in the sea near Suay Nam Sai beach. They were brought ashore safely and reunited with relatives who had gathered at the coordination point, many visibly relieved.
The four divers were named as 64 year old Gary Phillips from the UK, 63 year old JD John Mecrew from the US, 37 year old Bartosz Royals from Poland, and 50 year old Tim Pitcher, also from the US.
All four hold diving certifications and have extensive experience, with some working as diving instructors. They had travelled to the area specifically to build on their technical diving skills.
Initial inquiries suggest that after surfacing from their dive, the group could not locate their boat. They chose to stay afloat rather than swim, and currents eventually carried them to Suay Nam Sai beach, where rescuers located them.
The safe recovery of all four divers brought a relieved close to a search that had drawn in officials, rescue teams, and family members throughout the evening.
In another separate incident, a French father and his two sons went missing off Koh Samui on August 13 during a jet ski trip near Chaweng Beach. An overnight search was suspended due to rough seas, then resumed at dawn. The family, including a 50 year old man and sons aged 12 and nine, was found treading water around 10.30am on August 14, tired but alive after a night adrift. They were brought ashore for medical checks; the cause remains unclear.
The story Four missing foreign divers found safe off Samae San as seen on Thaiger News.
