A British man who drowned while swimming off a popular beach in Thailand may have survived had emergency response and safety standards been better, his sister has claimed.
She said the Thai lifeguard on duty at the time of the incident “couldn’t swim”.
Jason Lambert, 37, from Colchester, was swept out to sea by strong waves at Freedom Beach in Phuket on 29 November last year while holidaying with his family. He was among a group of eight people who got into trouble after being caught in a rip current.
The allegations by his 30-year-old sister, Lauren Smy, come just days after a UK coroner ruled that Lambert’s death was accidental.
Ms Smy said the incident unfolded within seconds. In an interview with the Daily Gazette, she said that the group had been standing in waist-deep water when a sudden wave dragged them out.
She said: “It happened so quick – a wave just came over us, pulled us out, and I was pulled out a bit further than Jason so I started panicking.
“I was like, ‘Jason, I can’t breathe, you’re going to have to help me’, so he tried to come towards me and grabbed hold of my hand – before we knew it, another wave came and pulled us away even further and I’ve let go of his hand.
“I honestly thought I was going to die, because every time I was swimming, I weren’t going anywhere.”
Ms Smy said another beachgoer helped her back towards shore, while a separate rescue effort was launched for her brother.
She said: “Then this guy came in and helped me – while I was getting pulled back, another big guy went in the water, grabbed Jason, and dragged him to the shore, where everyone then went over to him and started CPR.”
When she eventually reached dry land, Ms Smy said the scene was chaotic and deeply distressing.
She told the outlet: “This lifeguard should have been trained – this is the point I am getting at ... I didn’t know what was happening, really – it all just happened a bit quick ... The lifeguard on duty, he told us he can’t swim.”
The Independent has reached out to Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, which oversees lifeguard standards and beach safety.
Ms Smy’s allegations came despite Thai local media outlet Thaiger reporting that the police said Lambert’s family did not raise any objections about the circumstances of his death or ask for further inquiries. The outlet reported that his body was formally released to them following the autopsy to allow funeral arrangements to go ahead.
According to the Daily Mirror, earlier last month, police lieutenant colonel Chanan Mekchai of Patong police station in Thailand said: “The incident happened at around 11.30am, and we were notified an hour later. He went to the beach with his wife at around 10am. While swimming, he was caught in strong waves and disappeared beneath the surface.
“Tourists on the beach rushed to help and managed to pull him from the water. They attempted CPR for first aid while waiting for the emergency service, but he could not be revived.”
Lambert had travelled to the Southeast Asian country with his family on 19 November for a family holiday.
Lambert, who lived in Greenstead and worked as a bouncer in Colchester, was taken to Patong Hospital in Phuket shortly after midday. He still had a pulse in the ambulance but was pronounced dead later that afternoon.
An eyewitness to the scene, 31-year-old Chariya Thaweerat Howells, told The Mirror earlier last month: “The sea looked rough and we had only been there a few minutes when we heard cries for help. Everyone ran to assist. A Thai man launched a kayak and managed to reach the two struggling tourists and get them safely to shore.
“Only then did people realise a third man was being washed in. By the time they dragged him onto the sand, his face was already pale and yellowish. He had clearly been underwater for some time."
A UK inquest recently concluded that Lambert’s death was accidental and recorded drowning as the cause of his death.
Ms Smy said her family were left traumatised by how authorities handled the aftermath at the hospital.
She also claimed blood samples were not taken after her brother’s death and said there was a two-week delay before a post-mortem examination was carried out. Lambert’s body was not repatriated until shortly after Christmas.
Ms Smy and her mother flew back to the UK two days after Jason died.
PM faces call to rule out use of British bases if US attacks Greenland
Farage stance on benefit cap ‘just basic racism’, says Swinney
Government wants to help pubs, minister insists amid worries for sector
‘A huge start in righting the wrongs’: Pubs welcome business rates U-turn
Kate makes surprise appearance with William at London hospital
Complaint against incoming Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally dismissed
