Published on 07/02/2023
The discovery of a floating body near Koh Tao has led authorities to believe that it is the German tourist who, a week prior, had regrettably taken a fatal plunge into the ocean from a ferry that had recently departed from Koh Pha Ngan in southern Thailand.
Yesterday at 4 pm, the Kusol Sattha Rescue Foundation received notification from a tourist vessel that they had encountered the body of a male tourist floating in the Aegean-like waters of Ao Muong Bay, situated within the Koh Tao subdistrict of the Koh Pha Ngan district in the Surat Thani province.
The esteemed head of the rescue operations team for the foundation, Apichet Chuaypitak, and the chief of the Koh Tao Police Station, Pol. Col. Chokchai Suthimek, promptly arrived on the scene to conduct an investigation.
Upon arrival, the rescuers retrieved the body from the water and brought it aboard the vessel for examination. Upon inspection, a turtle tattoo on the individual’s back was discovered and, with this distinctive marking, police were able to determine the deceased’s identity as that of Florian Storz, from Germany.
The police believe the body to be Storz’s, but a formal identification process is ongoing. Upon completion, the German Embassy in Thailand will be notified. On January 31 at 6:30 PM, Storz and his girlfriend boarded the Raja Ferry R8 at Thongala Pier in Koh Pha Ngan for a trip to Koh Samui. Around 15 minutes into the journey, Storz jumped into the sea, about 6.19 nautical miles from Koh Pha Ngan, during rough conditions. The ferry, moving at a speed of 8 knots, promptly turned back to search for the missing tourist.
The rescue mission was carried out by Koh Pha Ngan Police Station, Koh Pha Ngan Harbor Master, Marine Police, Tourist Police, and the Charosat Sattha Foundation. Despite initial search efforts, the rescue mission was temporarily suspended due to darkness and adverse weather conditions and resumed the next day. As the days passed, the likelihood of finding the tourist alive decreased. The reason for Storz jumping off the ferry is unknown. The German Embassy will inform Storz’s family.
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