The search for the tourist, Yin Lei, 35, from Henan, resumed at 8:30am, police confirmed.
A Royal Thai Navy search-and-rescue team have joined the efforts, along with Marine Police and water-borne rescue workers, while regular police are scouring the shores, The Phuket News was told.
Maj Niwet Sankaew of Karon Police explained that Mr Yin was in Phuket on a tour provided by Shanghai Spring Travel Service Ltd.
“He was travelling with a group of six other tourists,” he said.
The group checked in at a hotel at the northern end of Patong on Saturday (Aug 31) and are to check out on Wednesday (Sept 4), he added.
“The group went to swim at Freedom Beach* yesterday evening. According to the other tourists there, Mr Yin was just sitting on a rock when a big wave swept him into the water and he was dragged away from shore,” Maj Niwet explained.
Unable to help Mr Yin, the tourists raised the alarm, he said.
“Some other people called the Phuket Tourist Police for help at about 6pm,” Maj Niwet noted.
A search team was quickly organised and took to the water to find Mr Yin, Maj Niwet added.
“But the search has to be suspended at 8pm because of the bad weather and lack of light,” he said.
“The search continues today,” Maj Niwet confirmed.
Patong Surf Life Saving Chief Somprasong Sangchart this morning pointed out that there are no lifeguards hired to patrol Freedom Beach, on the southern side of the headland to the south of Patong, or even Tri Trang Beach om the north side of the peninsular.
“With no lifeguards present there is no one to post red ‘No Swimming’ flags or warn people about the water being dangerous at those beaches when there is bad weather,” Mr Somprasong told The Phuket News.
Of note, although Tri Trang Beach and Freedom Beach are both relatively close to Patong, in administration terms both popular tourist beaches come under the jurisdiction of Karon Municipality.
The Patong Surf Life Saving team, which carried out 17 rescues in just one day last Tuesday (Aug 27), has only enough lifeguards to patrol Patong Beach, Mr Somprasong explained.
The lifesaving outfit is hired by Patong Municipality to patrol only Patong Beach and provide assistance Kalim Beach when needed, he noted.
Patong Beach was closed to swimmers on Friday (Aug 30) as heavy weather slammed the west coast, with red flags posted all along the beach to warn swimmers to not go in the water. (See story here.)
Safe zones marked with yellow-red flags to indicate where it is safe to enter the water returned to Patong Beach on Saturday(Aug 31), along with a stern warning from Mr Sompasong for people to obey lifeguards’ instructions and to obey the red “No Swimming” flags for their own safety. (See story here.)
Additional reporting by Eakkapop Thongtub
* Not Tri Trang Beach, as initally reported. The error is sincerely regretted