Another tragedy has struck Koh Samui after a 22-year-old French tourist was killed this week when he fell from a cliff at the Na Muang 2 waterfall while visiting the site with his girlfriend.
According to reports in Thailand’s local media, including the news website Thai Examiner, the incident occurred on Sunday at around 11:30 a.m., as the couple climbed to the fifth and highest level of the waterfall to take photos.
According to the girlfriend’s testimony, the two slipped on wet, slippery rocks at the top of the waterfall. While she managed to cling to a tree branch that prevented her from falling, the man, identified as Alexis Virgos, was swept away by the strong current and plunged onto jagged rocks in the pool at the fourth level of the falls.
The woman ran down the trail to seek help from a nearby restaurant, but rescue forces who arrived at the scene were forced to pronounce Virgos dead after a complex recovery operation that lasted several hours.
A separate report in Britain’s Daily Mail said rescue volunteers used climbing equipment and ropes to find Virgos’ body, 'lodged between boulders', which was in a hard-to-reach area.
"The tourist slipped while he was taking photos at the waterfall, he struck the rocks and died on the spot", said local police officer. “His girlfriend was present and alerted the police. She is currently in a state of deep shock.”
Na Muang 2 is considered one of the most well-known and frequently photographed natural attractions on the island, but in recent years, it has gained a notorious reputation. Virgos’ death is the sixth case of a foreign tourist killed at the site since 2019, alongside additional incidents of serious injuries. Most of the victims fell while attempting to take photos or selfies in hazardous areas.
Koh Samui district head Amorn Chomchoey said additional warning signs in Thai and English have been installed at the site in recent months. Following the incident, authorities are examining further safety measures, including installing fences and restricting access to high-risk areas, he said.
Rescue teams on Koh Samui stress that the waterfall becomes particularly dangerous during the rainy season, when water flows intensify and the rocks become extremely slippery.