PHUKET: Police in Phuket are investigating after a 70-year-old British-Australian man was found dead aboard his yacht anchored off Khao Khad Beach in Wichit, Mueang district. Forensic officers said there were no signs of a struggle, and an autopsy is under way to confirm the cause of death.
A 70-year-old British-Australian man was found dead aboard his yacht in Phuket on Sunday, police said.
The tourist was identified as Graham Tucker, who owned the yacht Synergy Sydney and had it anchored off Khao Khad Beach (near the Veranda Resort) in tambon Wichit, Phuket’s Mueang district.
Police and a doctor went to the yacht at 12.30pm on Sunday after Tucker’s German friend, Matthias Lepke, 54, reported the death.
Lepke, who was staying on another yacht anchored nearby, said he became concerned after not seeing Tucker for several days. He then went aboard Tucker’s yacht to check and found his body.
Police said Tucker was lying on his back in the bedroom at the front of the yacht. Forensic officers and medical examiners from Vachira Phuket Hospital conducted a preliminary examination and found no signs of a struggle or foul play. The body showed significant decomposition, suggesting he had been dead for at least one to two days before being found.
Tucker was reportedly well known in the local sailing community, having lived alone on his yacht for about 10 years. He frequently travelled by sea between Phuket and Malaysia.
Thai authorities are conducting an autopsy at Vachira Phuket Hospital to confirm the cause of death, and the British and Australian embassies have been notified to assist with the repatriation of his remains. - The Nation/ANN
