Killer wave ripped backpacker's girlfriend out of his arms on Thai paradise beach

By Claire Ellicott
Last updated at 9:00 AM on 24th September 2010

A backpacker died after a freak wave swept her from her boyfriend’s arms as they paddled in the sea.

Rebecca Callaghan, 21, was on a romantic trip to Thailand with Ian Fenwick when she drowned, an inquest heard yesterday.

The sea was initially calm, but a massive wave came suddenly and separated the couple, dragging them under the water.

When Mr Fenwick battled his way to the surface, he saw his girlfriend, a keen diver, floating face down.

Despite attempts to resuscitate her, she was pronounced dead in hospital. He told Worcestershire Coroners’ Court: ‘We were in the water and saw the red flags lined along the beach, so we asked three lifeguards what they meant as they seem to mean different things in different parts of the country.

‘We were told not to go swimming and not to lie down as the current was particularly strong that day, but going in the shallows was okay.

‘Conditions seemed quite calm. We were stood in the water up to our knees, hugging, when a wave came from behind and knocked us off our feet. I had Rebecca on my back at one point but the water and her weight were pushing me under. I remember feeling her arms let go of me.’

Mr Fenwick finally managed to pull Miss Callaghan out of the water and gave her CPR until a nurse, an American tourist, took over.

They called an ambulance and efforts to revive her continued in hospital but failed.

Mr Fenwick added: ‘She was a qualified diver and a better swimmer than me. The water just seemed to change in a matter of minutes.’ The tragedy happened at Karon beach in Phuket in June.

Although the beach is popular with holidaymakers, more than 20 people have died there in the last year. Just a week before Miss Callaghan’s death, an American man was killed.

Miss Callaghan’s brother Rob, a 24-year-old student, said: ‘She went out with her boyfriend and was told to swim only to waist height, which she did.

‘People don’t understand how dangerous it is. Travel agencies need to make people aware what happens in these waters. They need to raise awareness of the rip tides.

He added: ‘You can be the best swimmer in the world and this can still happen.’

Miss Callaghan, who has two brothers and one sister, had been studying animal health and welfare at college and was due to start a degree in animal welfare at Chester University this month.

She was two weeks into the trip of a lifetime with Mr Fenwick, who she lived with in Evesham, Worcestershire, and two friends.

She had saved for more than four years for the three-month adventure, which was also to include Australia and Indonesia.

Her father Mark, 48, a healthcare assistant, said the death had been ‘horrendous’ for him, his wife Rosie, a community nurse, and the rest of the family.

Pathologist Terry Jones said the cause of death was drowning and Worcestershire coroner Geraint Williams recorded a verdict of accidental death.

From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1314496/Backpackers-girlfriend-Rebecca-Callaghanout-ripped-arms-Thai-beach.html