Patong lifeguards rescue tourist ignoring red flags

On 8/21/2026 at 4:53 PM, Point Arguello said:

Most of these people getting into trouble are Russians and Northern Euros. Like this guy in photo , maybe first time in waves. Those conditions would not be a problem for an average ocean swimmer. And again always wear fins swimming in Phuket. There are some strong currents from waves and including tidal currents that are actually more dangerous than textbooks rips.

Chinese, most can't swim worth dog doo. Was whale shark diving in the Philippines when a boatload of Chinese jumped in, in life jackets, half the crowd about drowned.

Always wear fins (?), thats laughable bro. In 30 years of traveling to Phuket 11 as permanent resident, never wore fins. Got em on my surfboard though! 🤠

7 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

The Andaman is a massive deepwater sea, and those red flags are there for a reason. Even the strongest of swimmers can be defeated by a deep sea with incredibly powerful riptides and currents.

In order to thrive in this world we must have good survival instincts, unfortunately some people were left behind when they were handing them out.

Yes, the point is not whether you are a strong swimmer and have got certificates to prove it, it is that the authorities have suspended swimming for safety reasons and that should be followed. People who do not also put the lifeguards at risk!

5 hours ago, Priorexpat said:

5 hours ago, Priorexpat said:

Chinese, most can't swim worth dog doo. Was whale shark diving in the Philippines when a boatload of Chinese jumped in, in life jackets, half the crowd about drowned.

Always wear fins (?), thats laughable bro. In 30 years of traveling to Phuket 11 as permanent resident, never wore fins. Got em on my surfboard though! 🤠

No fins even for bodysurfing? Ok well your a Waterman. However for an average/below average swimmer fins can make the difference to power through currents.

Edited August 23Aug 23 by Point Arguello

17 hours ago, oslooskar said:

Now you're being intellectually dishonest because you know very well from my original comment, "Nobody risked his life to save anybody! Those waves in the video were barely surfable and posed no threat to the lifeguards", that I was referring only to the lifeguards, not to the swimmers being rescued.

Fair point. You were referring to life guards.

But what if some other concerned citizen noticed the guy in trouble before the lifeguards and decided to jump in and perform a DIY rescue? That would potentially be a risk to human life, would it not?

Life guards get cramp too, you know. It’s not inconceivable that one of them would unexpectedly, if somewhat unlikely, get cramp while performing a rescue.

And the red flags aren’t changed every five Monte’s. They are pretty much put up for the day or at least half day. The still images and short video don’t necessarily show the whole story . What if weather conditions suddenly change?

I’m not trying to make a mountain out of a molehill here, but the simple fact is that if red flags fly, don’t swim and there will be no chance of fatalities, lifeguard or others. Flout the flags and there’s always the risk of something going wrong.

5 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

Fair point. You were referring to life guards.

But what if some other concerned citizen noticed the guy in trouble before the lifeguards and decided to jump in and perform a DIY rescue? That would potentially be a risk to human life, would it not?

Life guards get cramp too, you know. It’s not inconceivable that one of them would unexpectedly, if somewhat unlikely, get cramp while performing a rescue.

And the red flags aren’t changed every five Monte’s. They are pretty much put up for the day or at least half day. The still images and short video don’t necessarily show the whole story . What if weather conditions suddenly change?

I’m not trying to make a mountain out of a molehill here, but the simple fact is that if red flags fly, don’t swim and there will be no chance of fatalities, lifeguard or others. Flout the flags and there’s always the risk of something going wrong.

GOOD GRIEF!! Now you're grasping at straws. A lifeguard MIGHT GET A CRAMP? The weather MIGHT SUDDENLY CHANGE? Some random bystander MIGHT JUMP IN? None of that has anything whatsoever to do with my original statement.

SisePuede419 claimed these lifeguards were "putting their own lives in danger," and I said they weren't. That's it. I never said people should ignore red flags, I never said rip currents aren't dangerous to swimmers, and I never encouraged anyone to enter the water.

You already conceded that I was referring specifically to the lifeguards, so all these imaginary scenarios are irrelevant. If your argument has been reduced to "one of the lifeguards might suddenly get a cramp," I think we've pretty well exhausted the subject.

18 hours ago, oslooskar said:

GOOD GRIEF!! Now you're grasping at straws. A lifeguard MIGHT GET A CRAMP? The weather MIGHT SUDDENLY CHANGE? Some random bystander MIGHT JUMP IN? None of that has anything whatsoever to do with my original statement.

SisePuede419 claimed these lifeguards were "putting their own lives in danger," and I said they weren't. That's it. I never said people should ignore red flags, I never said rip currents aren't dangerous to swimmers, and I never encouraged anyone to enter the water.

You already conceded that I was referring specifically to the lifeguards, so all these imaginary scenarios are irrelevant. If your argument has been reduced to "one of the lifeguards might suddenly get a cramp," I think we've pretty well exhausted the subject.

Ok, gotcha.

Life guards, no danger for them, no problem for them to rescue swimmers in trouble all day long if necessary. The photo and short video shows that weather conditions for fine for life guards to enter the sea.

Took me a while but I got there.