A UK backpacker drowned after being swept from the arms of her boyfriend as they were swimming at a beach in Thailand.
Rebecca Callaghan, 21, was embracing her boyfriend Ian Fenwick in calm, knee-deep water off Phuket on June 12 when a freak wave knocked them over, an inquest into her death has heard.
Mr Fenwick was pulled underwater and when he managed to surface, he saw his girlfriend floating face down, the Daily Mail reports.
"We stood in the water up to our knees, hugging, when a wave came from behind and knocked us off our feet," he told Worcestershire Coroners' Court.
"I remember feeling her arms let go of me."
Though Ms Callaghan was described as being a strong swimmer and diver, she was unable to battle the powerful rip off Karon Beach.
Though the beach is a popular tourist destination, more than 20 people have drowned there in the past year.
Ms Callaghan had been saving money for four years for her backpacking trip, which was set to include Australia and Indonesia.
The U.K. dailymail online also reported this case with an added picture of the beach:
There is not much more one can say about this tragic event. Especially when we see the picture of the beach where this case was taking place. We can just wonder how can something like that can ever happen?
A reader named Rick made this very good comment in the Dailymail article: I was on this beach in March and was just up to my knees in the sea when a wave knocked me over. The weight of water was enormous and the undertow very strong. Luckily I managed to crawl out the sea on all fours and did not go in again for my whole stay. It really is a treacherous tho beautiful beach. BEWARE.
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