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Home / World

Thai police probe Sydney man Robert Wojcik's mysterious Ko Pu death

By Erin Lyons
news.com.au·
7 Jun, 2021 03:02 AM2 mins to read

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Robert Wojcik was found dead. Photo / Facebook

Robert Wojcik was found dead. Photo / Facebook

Thai police are said to be racing to determine what happened to an Australian man after he was found dead days after taking his boat out.

Grieving family and friends have been left in the dark after a Sydney man was found dead in Thailand.

Robert Wojcik had been living and working on the Thai island of Ko Pu when he took his boat out on June 1.

Concerned family and friends raised the alarm a day later when he didn't return.

His body was discovered the following day.

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The Department of Foreign Affairs released a statement saying it was working with his family.

"DFAT is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who recently died in Thailand," the department said.

Robert Wojcik was found dead. Photo / Facebook
Robert Wojcik was found dead. Photo / Facebook

"Owing to our privacy obligations we will not provide further comment."

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The 28-year-old had been living in Thailand since the end of 2019.

Worried family and friends posted call outs on social media when he went missing, urging anyone with information to come forward.

One person named P'ann Rueangnarong said Wojcik was without his phone and wallet, which were later revealed to be left on the boat.

"Possibly injured as we know his (sic) without his wallet (and) a phone," Rueangnarong wrote.

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Wojcik's cousin, Elyse Palmer Hebblewhite, said his boat was found 4km from the shore with the keys still in the ignition.

Kellie Applefield, who is a friend of Hebblewhite, explained one engine in the boat was broken but the other was still working.

The last person to hear from him was his father about 9.30pm the night before he vanished.

His girlfriend was concerned when he didn't return and sent fisherman out to search for him.

They found his boat with his wallet and bag still on board but his iPad, which he used to communicate with family, was gone.

Concerned friends posted a call out for information on Facebook. Photo / Facebook
Concerned friends posted a call out for information on Facebook. Photo / Facebook

"Presumed fallen overboard … we need people to check waterways in direction of tides last night after last," a post read.

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News that Wojcik's body had been found quickly spread through the expat community.

Several people took to social media to pay tribute to the "gentle soul".

"Rob, I'm so sorry to lose you and for your loved ones," one person said.

"My condolences to the family and friends. He was a great human, talented sailor and generally an all rounder. Such sad news," a community member in the Phuket Expats group wrote.

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