Brit tourist Gerald Crawford drowns on Thailand beach after ignoring 'stay away' warning

A British tourist drowned on a beach in Thailand after ignoring warnings from locals to stay away from the deep water. Gerald Horace Crawford, 61, had been drinking heavily before he was seen stumbling along the sand and walking into the calm sea with his shoes on. He reportedly ignored shouts from onlookers who urged him to return to dry land as the section of water was deeper than other parts of the beach in Pattaya on Wednesday evening. Witnesses said Gerald vanished under the surface before he was next seen floating unconscious around 15 minutes later. Emergency services were called to the scene at around 6:30 pm local time on April 22, when lifeguards pulled the unconscious holidaymaker out of the water. Rescue volunteers attempted CPR before rushing him to Pattaya Hospital, but Gerald, of Chichester, West Sussex, could not be saved. Boat worker Wasan Wannarit, 25, said he saw the Brit drinking on the shore before wading into the shallows still wearing his shoes. Mr Wannarit said: "The man who drowned was already drunk before coming to the beach. I saw him staggering across the road and then sitting on the beach. He had been drinking since the afternoon. "He stayed there for a while, then I noticed him thrashing around and walking into the water. It looked like he fell face-down into the water, which was about chest-deep. "At first, I thought he was just swimming, but after around 15 minutes, I noticed something was wrong. He was just floating still in the water so I rushed in to help pull him out. He had no pulse when I checked. I immediately called rescue workers and the police for help." Police said no signs of assault were found. They recovered from Gerald's pockets a UK driving licence, a keycard from the Hard Rock Hotel where he had been staying during his trip, and some banknotes. Police Lieutenant Colonel Suthiraphan Tapsri said: "There were no strong waves that day, so the incident was not caused by sea conditions. "We believe he may have suffered a diabetic blackout in the water, as he had an underlying condition. He has visited Pattaya many times before and was familiar with the area, although he had no family here. "He came alone that day. A local said he had been warned not to enter that spot because it was deep. He initially returned to shore, but later went back into the water unnoticed and disappeared. Among his belongings were a driving licence, a key card, and some cash. The body has been sent for autopsy at Police General Hospital, and the embassy has been notified." Beach drownings are a recurring safety concern in Thailand, especially in tourist hotspots like Phuket, Pattaya, and Krabi. The deaths often attributed to strong rip currents, lack of swimming skills, and disregard for warning signage. The waters are most dangerous during the country's rainy monsoon season, when red flags are placed in beaches to warn of dangerous sea conditions.