Southern Thailand
Rescue Teams Recover Body of Second Missing Filipino Tourist in Phuket
PHUKET – Rescue personnel have recovered the body of the second Filipino tourist who went missing in a beach in Phuket, Thailand on July 17th.
The body of 29-year-old Filipino tourist Angelo Bien Rafael Cortez was found by a Thai rescue team, five days after he and another Filipino tourist, Noah Ibay went missing.
The body was positively identified by Cortez’s father who was with him during the trip, and her mother who rushed to Thailand after learning of the incident.
On July 17, a group of 13 Filipinos went on a vacation at Freedom Beach in Phuket.
However, Cortez and Ibay went missing amid strong waves that day. A search and rescue operation was immediately launched.
Ibay’s body was found by a Romanian tourist, Friday afternoon.
Governor Supot Rodruang Na Nongkhai said the Philippine consul-general and relatives would be contacted.
Once the death certificates are issued the families can arranged for the bodies to be brought back to the Philippines.
Phuket’s beaches are notorious to rip tides and life guards place red warning flags in unsafe areas.
On July 4th an Irishman tragically drowned at Surin beach in Phuket.
He and his 25-year-old son James were carried off by huge waves and a riptide.
The lifeguard said the two were swept out to sea by a big wave and he swam out to rescue them but managed to save only the son.