A U.S. Army veteran who was swept away by a riptide was found dead last night on a beach in Phuket, Thailand.

James Everett du Bois, 49, was swimming with his family at the Nai Harn Beach when they were swept away by a powerful current on June 9 afternoon.

His Thai wife Siriarmorn Phetarwut, 49, and son Boonpat, 3, were rescued by lifeguards, but the former soldier was dragged further from the coast.

His lifeless corpse washed ashore at 11:43 pm on June 10, following a desperate search that was hampered by poor weather.

Nikorn Phaphakityotphat, Deputy Mayor of Rawai Municipality, said: 'The deceased's wife has confirmed the man's identity. His body was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for forensic doctors to perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death in detail.'

The father-of-two, from Shelby, Ohio, had worked as a supply specialist in the U.S. Army from 1996 to 2022 and also served as a missionary in Belize in 2018.

He lived with his family in Rawai - a seaside town near the beach where he drowned.

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. Staff often put up red flags along the shore to warn swimmers not to enter the water.

Nai Harn Beach reportedly had a yellow flag up on the day James drowned. A yellow flag indicates that swimming is allowed, but swimmers must be careful due to windy conditions.