Chinese tourist mother watches helplessly as daughter drowns on Phuket snorkelling tour

By Eakkapop Thongtub

 

Tourists enjoy a day tour to the Koh Khai islands off Phuket’s east coast. Photo: The Phuket News / file

 

PHUKET:-- A mother watched in horror as her daughter was pulled from the water unconscious while on a snorkelling tour off Phuket yesterday (Aug 21), and later died.

 

Lu Shanshan, 33, from Tianjin in Sichuan Province, was on a tour booked with Happy Holidays, confirmed Lt Nutnaree Narksingha of the Phuket City Police, who was informed of the death at 4:25pm.

 

Ms Lu and her mother boarded the tour boat JJ Orca, which departed from Wisit Panwa Pier in Phuket, to enjoy a day trip to Koh Khai Nok, off Phuket’s east coast.

 

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/chinese-tourist-mother-watches-helplessly-as-daughter-drowns-on-phuket-snorkelling-tour-68336.php#3gE3jXbIyZWoqgI6.97

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2018-8-22

Don't see how it's possible to drown while wearing a life jacket and snorkelling.

Unless run over by a boat or jetski.

It really is every week. Usually Chinese, but the odd Korean sneaks in there on the snorkelling death list.

So bloody sad and so UNNECESSARY..........WHY IS THIS HAPPENING NEARLY EVERY DAY????????????

No mention of how old the girl was.

Just now, Just1Voice said:

No mention of how old the girl was.

It says she is 33.

 

50 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Lu Shanshan, 33, from Tianjin in Sichuan Province

 

2 hours ago, Briggsy said:

It really is every week. Usually Chinese, but the odd Korean sneaks in there on the snorkelling death list.

You just expressed my exact thought. 

Not a week goes by without a tragedy of a tourist dying. 

 

12 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

No mention of how old the girl was.

33 years old.  She was old enough to know if she could swim or not before she went into the water

Happy Holidays and last rites how can this happen in these circumstances another 1mill pay-out and tourism disaster ? 

14 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Don't see how it's possible to drown while wearing a life jacket and snorkelling.

Unless run over by a boat or jetski.

What I don't understand is why it is necessary to be wearing a life jacket while trying to snorkel. The primary design of all life jackets/preservers is to hold the body, face up, at an approx. 45 degree angle. Trying to reverse that, ie going face down, is crazy.

 

If they are not swimmers to start with, they shouldn't be snorkeling in the first place IMO.

39 minutes ago, chrisinth said:

What I don't understand is why it is necessary to be wearing a life jacket while trying to snorkel. The primary design of all life jackets/preservers is to hold the body, face up, at an approx. 45 degree angle. Trying to reverse that, ie going face down, is crazy.

 

If they are not swimmers to start with, they shouldn't be snorkeling in the first place IMO.

Different jackets perform different functions

The fact is most Chinese cannot swim. Just because we see them win the diving and swimming at the Olympia’s does not a nation of swimmers make. 

Chinese and snorkelling unfortunately does not sit well together. RIP of yet another victim (and hpw many Moreno before there is an awakening?).

God that’s sad they really need to train thease tour operators and hold them accountable condolences to the young woman’s family 

13 hours ago, greenchair said:

You just expressed my exact thought. 

Not a week goes by without a tragedy of a tourist dying. 

 

One thing TAT won't promote is that Thailand is the hub of tourists deaths.

This is low season in Thailand because the waves are big and surf is rough.  Waves over 2-2.5 meters high are common if not the norm in Phuket this time of year. 

Whether you know how to swim or not, the ocean is very dangerous until October.  When the waves are this high, it's hard to see people more than 3-5 meters away from you.  Because of the rough surf it's cheap this time of year but very very dangerous.  Even good swimmers can drown in these rough seas!

It must be close to one death a week now.

1 hour ago, Curmudgeon1 said:

Different jackets perform different functions

Never heard of snorkeling jackets though.

1 hour ago, Curmudgeon1 said:

Different jackets perform different functions

Yep, I'll give you that. They actually have snorkeling vests, which differ from lifejackets in that they can provide buoyancy to the swimmer rather than just keeping someone afloat. I've just looked this up, learn something everyday. But looking at the picture in the OP, I'm not sure any displayed there fall into that category.

 

I could be wrong. 23 years of my life was involved with life jackets and their maintenance from personal issue to hazardous duty life jackets. I just never came across snorkeling vests. 

 

Maybe showing my age..............................

Maybe the tour operator needs to change its name to not so happy holidays.i don't think the tour operators should be held accountable in this case as she was at least provided with a buoyancy aid and I suspect she couldn't swim.

I wonder if the Communist Chinese have a state run version of the UK's "The Sun" where these horror stories are headline news?

3 hours ago, Tug said:

God that’s sad they really need to train thease tour operators and hold them accountable condolences to the young woman’s family 

I admit there are a lot of safety problems related to tour operators, but to hold them accountable for the unfortunate woman who probably couldn't swim is not the way to go!

9 hours ago, barefootbangkok said:

This is low season in Thailand because the waves are big and surf is rough.  Waves over 2-2.5 meters high are common if not the norm in Phuket this time of year. 

Whether you know how to swim or not, the ocean is very dangerous until October.  When the waves are this high, it's hard to see people more than 3-5 meters away from you.  Because of the rough surf it's cheap this time of year but very very dangerous.  Even good swimmers can drown in these rough seas!

These trips are conducted in very calm waters. Unfortunately if people can't swim but go on a snorkeling trip anyway, a trip where there is maybe 1 guide for 20 or so snorkelers, accidents are bound to happen.

8 hours ago, chrisinth said:

Yep, I'll give you that. They actually have snorkeling vests, which differ from lifejackets in that they can provide buoyancy to the swimmer rather than just keeping someone afloat. I've just looked this up, learn something everyday. But looking at the picture in the OP, I'm not sure any displayed there fall into that category.

 

I could be wrong. 23 years of my life was involved with life jackets and their maintenance from personal issue to hazardous duty life jackets. I just never came across snorkeling vests. 

 

Maybe showing my age..............................

It is a file photo, so unclear if these were the jackets used.

The jacket I see in the photo will keep people at the surface in any position they are in, so would be suitable and are often used for snorkeling.

Even worse than taking non swimmers snorkelling is what they do in Talumben in Bali. They take Japanese people who can't swim scuba diving on a wreck down to 50ft !!  Crazy !  I used to watch from the surface and see them being dragged along by their guide as they had no idea how to use fins.  It was comical to watch but scary too.

Well that ought to increase the tourism rate from China. Wonder how TAT will use this in their promotional efforts? 

The sacred cow is walking away.  Safety issues will be the nail in the coffin 

On 8/22/2018 at 1:06 PM, Briggsy said:

It says she is 33.

 

 

girl ????

15 hours ago, barefootbangkok said:

This is low season in Thailand because the waves are big and surf is rough.  Waves over 2-2.5 meters high are common if not the norm in Phuket this time of year. 

Whether you know how to swim or not, the ocean is very dangerous until October.  When the waves are this high, it's hard to see people more than 3-5 meters away from you.  Because of the rough surf it's cheap this time of year but very very dangerous.  Even good swimmers can drown in these rough seas!

but still the locals go for the money

6 hours ago, stevenl said:

These trips are conducted in very calm waters. Unfortunately if people can't swim but go on a snorkeling trip anyway, a trip where there is maybe 1 guide for 20 or so snorkelers, accidents are bound to happen.

excuse me , can you swim?   no .

   ok ,   you can come but you are on your own i have 19 swimmers to look after.

12 hours ago, Cheops said:

I admit there are a lot of safety problems related to tour operators, but to hold them accountable for the unfortunate woman who probably couldn't swim is not the way to go!

we do stuff in the water  -  can you swim   -  no

never mind