The photo shows a US Army veteran who was swept out to sea while trying to save his young son and wife from the waves.
James Everett du Bois, 49, went swimming with his Thai wife, Siriarmorn Phetarwut, 49, and their three-year-old son Boonpat, at Nai Harn Beach in Phuket, Thailand, on Sunday afternoon.
A powerful current reportedly swept the family away from shore and deeper into the choppy waters around 4:50 p.m.
While his wife managed to swim back to the beach, Mr. Du Bois was swept away by the strong waves. His young son was rescued by lifeguards.
Divers and rescue personnel scoured the area for three hours until 8:10 p.m. last night, when the search was suspended due to poor visibility and strong winds.
James Everett du Bois, 49, went swimming with his Thai wife, Siriarmorn Phetarwut, 49, and their three-year-old son Boonpat, at Nai Harn Beach in Phuket, Thailand, on Sunday afternoon ( in the photo: the family during a previous trip to the beach). )
Divers and rescue personnel scoured the area for three hours until 8:10 p.m. last night, when the search was suspended due to poor visibility and strong winds.
Rawai Mayor Arun Soros said: “The wife and child are now safe, but the American is still missing.” We are still searching for the man but we believe he has drowned.’
The operation resumed this morning, with ships and drones deployed to search nearby beaches and islands.
Du Bois, of Shelby, Ohio, was a supply specialist in the U.S. Army from 1996 to 2022 and then went to Belize as a missionary in 2018.
He regularly posted about his family on Facebook, especially his son. The proud father wrote: ‘My son is my joy, my pride, my motivation, my best friend, my life!’
The American father of two said on social media that he lives in Rawai with his family, which is right next to the beach where he disappeared.
She posted many photos and videos of her son and her Beagle dog Bella on previous trips to the beach.
Du Bois captioned a photo of his son saying, “I can’t imagine a life without my son!” “He makes every day worth living.”
The 49-year-old also has an older daughter named Kayla. As he congratulated her on her birthday, he wrote, “Even though we are far apart, I love you and miss you so much.”
Du Bois appeared to be selling bikes in the Rawai area and shared photos of satisfied customers on his social media account.
Du Bois captioned a photo of his son saying, “I can’t imagine a life without my son!” He makes every day worth living’
James du Bois posted a photo of himself during his days in the military on Facebook to commemorate Veterans Day.
The operation resumed this morning, with ships and drones deployed to search nearby beaches and islands.
Nai Harn Beach (pictured) reportedly had a yellow flag when the family ran into difficulties in the water, while other nearby beaches were flying a red flag.
Divers were deployed in the search for the 49-year-old American veteran and father.
Rawai Mayor Arun Soros said: “At 4:45 pm, the family was swimming about 10 meters from the shore, but the current swept them out to sea.
‘The wife and child are now safe, but the American is still missing. ‘We are still searching for the man but we believe he has drowned.’
Thailand’s beaches are the most dangerous between June and December, when the monsoon rainy season brings strong winds that cause rough ocean conditions.
Nai Harn Beach reportedly had a yellow flag when the family ran into difficulties in the water, while other nearby beaches were flying a red flag.
A yellow flag means swimming is allowed, but swimmers should use caution due to windy conditions that can cause waves.
Witnesses told local media they saw waves of up to 10 feet on Nai Harn beach.
Mayor Soros has raised questions with local journalists about why no red flag was flown on the beach despite the dangerous conditions.