Rescue teams were searching for a missing American father today who is feared drowned after being washed away by a riptide on a beach in Thailand.

The man, identified in local reports as James Everett Du Bois, went swimming with his Thai wife and toddler son, aged three, at the Nai Harn Beach in Phuket on June 9 afternoon.

However, a powerful current swept the family away from the shore and deeper into the churning waters.

The Thai woman managed to swim back to the beach and the toddler was rescued by lifeguards, but James was dragged away in the strong waves.

Divers and rescue personnel scoured the area until around 8:30 pm when the search was suspended due to poor visibility and strong winds.
The operation resumed this morning, June 10.

Rawai Mayor Arun Soros said: 'At 4:45 pm, the family were swimming around 10 metres from the shore, but they were pulled by the current into the sea.

'The wife and boy are now safe, but the American man is still missing. We are continuing to search for the man but we believe he has drowned.'

A riptide, often referred to as a rip current, is a strong, narrow current that flows from the shore out to sea, typically through a break in a sandbar or near structures such as piers. The powerful currents can quickly pull swimmers away from the shore, making them potentially deadly for beachgoers.

Thailand's beaches are the most dangerous between June and December when the monsoon rainy season brings strong winds, causing choppy conditions in the ocean.