Backpacker's cause of death revealed after body found mysteriously on Thai 'death island'

15 January 2025, 11:11

The cause of death of an Irish backpacker whose lifeless body was found on a Thai island has been revealed.

Robby Kinlan, 21, was found dead in his bed on January 9 in Koh Tao, nicknamed 'death island' because of the number of tourist fatalities there.

He had suffered an acute pulmonary cardiac failure, according to preliminary post-mortem results.

More details will be revealed later by further investigations.

His mother Tracy King said his death was "very unexpected".

She said: "He was a free diver and a master diver. He went out there on November 20 last year. He got two qualifications in the short time he was there."

Ms King told the Irish Daily Mail: "It was all very unexpected. He was in a really good place mentally and his normal self."

The family are from the village of Quilty in County Clare, on the west coast of Ireland.

Describing her son's decision to travel to the south-east Asian country, Ms King added: "He just walked in one day and said, 'I am going to Thailand. I have already booked the ticket.' It's all he wanted to do. That's where all the diving was.

"He was doing very, very well over there and supported himself through his [diving] qualifications.

"His personality was his talent – and I would say to him, 'Robby, you have to be an actor or a barman' or someone who deals with the public in some way."

A fundraiser for the family and to bring Mr Kinlan back to Ireland has already raised nearly €45,000 (£38,000) as of Wednesday morning.

Paying tribute, friends said Mr Kinlan "was the kind of person who lit up every room with his kindness and warmth".

They added: "He was always the first to help others, putting their needs before his own without a second thought.

"In Thailand, he was surrounded by many friends and he was living his dream, spending his days doing what he loved - freediving and scuba diving in the place that made him happy."