Elderly Norwegian Beachgoer Drowns At Jomtien

April 7, 2013

A 68-year-old Norwegian who liked to drink alone and sunbathe at Jomtien Beach nearly every day drowned during an afternoon swim. Witnesses said he had been drinking most of the day and was drunk. No one noticed anything wrong until they saw his floating body 20 meters from shore.

PATTAYA – April 5, 2013 [PDN]; at 7 p.m. a report of a foreigner drowning in the ocean off Jomtien Beach was received by Pol. Lt. Col. Attharos Khrongrach, investigation officer, Pattaya police station, Dongtarn curve sub-branch, Chonburi province. The rescue officers of Sawangboribultharmmasatharn Pattaya foundation were dispatched to the scene along with police.

The drowning occurred at Jomtien beach, approximately 100 meters from the police station. At the scene, officers found that bystanders had assisted to bring the corpse to the shore.

The victim was identified as Mr. Leif Anders Lonvik, age 68, nationality Norwegian. He was wearing only shorts, and officers didn’t find any wounds or trace of being beaten on his pale complexion body.

Police questioned witnesses, who said Mr. Leif would come nearly every day to Jomtien beach to drink beer by himself and sunbathe. Before the incident, Mr. Lief drank beer until he got drunk, and then walked into the sea. The other people thought he went to swim in the sea, so no one was interested.

But later someone found his corpse lying face down in the water about 20 meters from the shore. So the bystanders assisted him and did artificial respiration and pumped his heart for him, but despite their efforts, he later died.

Pol. Lt. Col. Attharos Khrongrach revealed that at the beginning of March, Mr. Leif had notified police that his passport was lost. As for the cause of Mr. Lief’s quiet drowning, police assumed that his being very drunk was the underlying factor. However, the police will send the corpse to perform an autopsy at the police hospital to find the exact cause of death, and then will inform the Norwegian embassy.