LANGKAWI: A Japanese tourist died soon after swimming in waters off Pulau Payar near here, yesterday.
Yoshito Shiba, 47, from Nagano, Japan, was swimming with three family members when he began experiencing shortness of breath at 5pm.
“When the man suffered breathing difficulties, he and his three relatives decided to return to the beach to rest.
“However, as they were returning to the Kuah jetty on a ferry, the victim’s situation turned serious, and emergency assistance was rendered,” said Langkawi district police chief Superintendent Mohd Iqbal Ibrahim.
By the time the family reached the jetty, Shiba had lost consciousness and members of the public contacted the Langkawi Hospital for an ambulance, he added.
“The victim was pronounced dead by hospital authorities soon after arrival and his body was sent to the Forensic Unit for a post-mortem.
“The operation revealed that the victim died from a blocked coronary artery and the incident has been classified as ‘sudden death’,” Mohd Iqbal said.
It is learnt that Shiba, a gardener, had been staying at a hotel at Chenang Beach here.