Body of missing Dutch teen recovered from Dragon Crest Mountain in Krabi
The body of a missing Dutch teenager was discovered on Thursday, a day after he was reported missing, on "Dragon Crest Mountain," a popular tourist attraction on Phi Phi Islands, Krabi province.
According to local rangers, the 18-year-old victim, Tim Bakker, hails from the Netherlands.
A rappelling team discovered Bakker's body while searching the cliff area of the 360-degree viewpoint, Dragon Crest Mountain's highest point.
Yuthapong Damsrisook, the head of the Nopparat Thara Beach-Phi Phi Island National Park, contacted the police to help identify the body.
Due to the steep terrain, the search team had to climb on foot to retrieve Bakker's body from the cliff. The operation took more than two hours.
Initially, it was believed that Bakker had fallen while exploring the cliff area.
Officers had been searching since the previous night, and it took over 20 hours to find the body.
“I spoke to the deceased’s parents, Mrs Karin Monique Valkhoff and Mr Rinus Gerard Bakker. They said their son had told them he didn’t have the strength to walk back down from the viewpoint. They returned with drinking water but couldn’t find him,” Yuthapong said. “We need to investigate further to determine the exact cause of this tragedy.”
During the search operation, one park patrol officer, Nattaporn Sommas, sustained an injury to his right knee.
The hike to the Dragon Crest Mountain viewpoint is approximately 3.7 kilometres, a four-hour walk for a round trip.
