Chasing Ghosts - Below the Surface: Why we may never know what happened to Goy Thongsi

The diving spot of Motunau was also the spot where Goy Thongsi lost her life. Photo / George Heard

In Below the Surface, a new edition of the NZ Herald’s Chasing Ghosts true crime podcast, reporter Hazel Osborne explores the circumstances of Thongsi’s death, and why so many questions remain eight years later.

“The story no matter how you contrive it, whether you invoke laryngeal spasm or being struck by lightning or being cast down by God really doesn’t matter, the point is why did she suddenly sink?”

Professor Des Gorman, Australian Navy-trained scuba diver and diving medicine expert believes the story of how Thai diver Goy Thongsi died does not add up.

The accounts of what happened in the moments before Thongsi died, and the subsequent police findings are at odds with each other, according to Gorman.

He, and others, believe there has not been justice for Thongsi whose cause of death remains undetermined.

Thongsi would have turned 45 this year.

She was 37 when she sank below the swell off the coast of Motunau Beach in North Canterbury on February 8, 2015.

The integral but murky accounts from key witnesses hindered progress in the case, with the number of holes in the stories of those on the boat with Thongsi that day leaving more questions.

A charter boat operator said in 2018 the men were “fairly casual” when he was the first to arrive on the scene to offer help.

The search for Thongsi was brief and the group returned to shore two hours and 40 minutes after she had gone missing.

Witness accounts from a man with name suppression turned the inquest on its head and were the catalyst for the third and final police investigation, one that concluded in February 2020.

Transcript excerpts of what the witness had to say at the December 2018 inquest hearing are included in today’s second, and final podcast episode.

Months before Thongsi’s death, Christchurch diver David Jones went diving with skipper David Avei on the same boat.

Jones said the safety practices on the boat were worrying, and he felt unsafe having only recently returned to scuba diving after a break.

He told his wife after the trip he wanted to be reminded that he said he would never go diving with the group again.

The inquest has concluded, the police have made their findings and no criminal liability has been found in the death of Thongsi.

But has there been justice?

All four men who were on the boat at the time of Thongsi’s fatal dive were approached for comment for this podcast and article. Brent Chappell was the only one to respond, saying he didn’t wish to comment.

Listen to Chasing Ghosts - Below the Surface below for the full story of the police investigations, the coronial investigations, the changing stories - and what the future holds for Goy’s story.

Follow Chasing Ghosts on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.