Patong Surf Life Saving confirmed the tally of rescues through a post online on Friday (Aug 2).
During July, Patong lifeguards also had two groups rejected from entering the water at night for safety reasons, as well as providing assistance to people who were drunk or victims of theft and one incident where a tourist was injured in a fight, as well as the safe return of a young boy who had become separated from his parents.
Three people were treated with first aid for injuries on the beach, while 11 people required first aid from 10 incidents in the water, in which four people were rush to Patong Hospital.
One person required first aid from an accident while playing water sports, Patong Surf Life Saving reported.
During July Patong Surf Life Savnig also continued its project to teach young local children the dangers of teh surf.
The month of July was deadly for swimmers at Phuket beaches. A Hong Kong father drowned at Patong Beach and a Kazakh man died after being pulled from the surf at Karon last Wednesday (July 31).
A Chinese tourist disappeared in dangerous surf at Karon Beach Friday week ago (July 26). His body was found washed up on rocks near Freedom Beach and brought ashore in front of hundreds of beachgoers at Kata last Monday (July 29).
Just days earlier, a 27-year-old Indian tourist drowned at Surin Beach on July 24 after becoming caught in a rip current during an early morning swim with friends.
Late last month, Viroon Chuasaman, Head Lifeguard at Surin-Bang Tao Beach, called for intensive campaigns to educate tourists of the dangers of rip currents and strong waves during the southwest monsoon to help reduce the number of people drowning at tourist-popular beaches.
Mr Viroon told The Phuket News that the current efforts of lifeguards to save tourists from drowning were merely addressing the problem’s symptoms rather than its root cause and called upon the Tourism Authority of Thailand to actively promote the dangers of ignoring red flag warnings during the monsoon season.
Mr Viroon’s call for better awareness among tourists of Phuket’s dangerous surf followed five people drowning at Phuket beaches in less than two weeks in June.