The photo shows a US Army vet who was swept into the sea while trying to rescue his toddler son and wife from the waves.
James Everett du Bois, 49, went swimming with his Thai wife, Siriarmorn Phetarwut, 49, and their son Boonpat, three, at Nai Harn Beach in Phuket, Thailand, on Sunday afternoon.
A powerful current reportedly swept the family away from the shore and deeper into the churning 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. Their son was rescued by lifeguards.
Divers and rescue personnel searched the area for three hours last night until 8.10pm when the search was suspended due to poor visibility and high winds.
James Everett du Bois, 49, went swimming with his Thai wife, Siriarmorn Phetarwut, 49, and their son Boonpat, three, on Sunday afternoon at Nai Harn Beach in Phuket, Thailand (photo: the family on a previous beach trip)
Divers and rescue personnel searched the area for three hours last night until 8.10pm when the search was suspended due to poor visibility and high winds.
Rawai Mayor Arun Soros said: “The woman and boy are now safe, but the American man is still missing. We continue to search for the man, but we believe he has drowned.”
The operation resumed this morning, with boats and drones deployed to scour nearby beaches and islands.
Mr. du Bois, from Shelby, Ohio, served as a supply specialist in the U.S. Army from 1996 to 2022 and later 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 with his family in Rawai, right next to the beach where he went missing.
He posted many photos and videos of his son and their Beagle dog Bella during previous trips to the beach.
Mr du Bois captioned a photo of his son, saying: ‘I can’t imagine life without my son! He makes every day worthwhile.”
The 49-year-old also has an older daughter named Kayla. While congratulating her on her birthday, he wrote, “Although we are far apart, I love and miss you very much.”
Mr du Bois appeared to be selling bicycles in the Rawai area and shared photos of happy customers on his social media account.
Mr du Bois captioned a photo of his son, saying: ‘I can’t imagine life without my son! He makes every day worth living.”
James du Bois posted a photo of himself during his army days on Facebook on the occasion of Veterans Day
The operation resumed this morning, with boats and drones deployed to scour nearby beaches and islands
Nai Harn Beach (pictured) reportedly had a yellow flag flying when the family got into trouble in the water, while other nearby beaches flew a red flag
Divers were deployed in the search for the 49-year-old American father and veteran
Rawai Mayor Arun Soros said: “At 4.45pm, the family swam about 10 meters offshore but were pulled into the sea by the current.
‘The woman and the boy are now safe, but the American man is still missing. We continue to search for the man, but we believe he has drowned.’
Thailand’s beaches are most dangerous between June and December, when the monsoon rainy season brings strong winds, causing choppy conditions in the ocean.
Nai Harn Beach reportedly had a yellow flag flying when the family got into trouble in the water, while other nearby beaches flew a red flag.
A yellow flag means swimming is allowed, but swimmers should use caution due to possible windy conditions that cause waves.
Witnesses told local media they saw waves up to 3 meters high at Nai Harn Beach.
Mayor Soros asked local reporters why a red flag was not raised on the beach despite the dangerous conditions.