British tourist risks life trying to rescue child missing off Koh Chang

[Jonathan Fairfield]

British tourist risks life trying to rescue child missing off Koh Chang

 

Lewis Miller with the body of a girl who drowned in waters off Koh Chang on Saturday

 

A British tourist has been hailed a hero after risking his own life as he tried to rescue a girl who had gone missing in waters off Koh Chang on Saturday.

 

Lewis Miller, 29, was called to Klong Prao Beach on Sunday to assist with the search for a Cambodian girl who had been reported missing since the previous day.

 

The girl, along with two others, had gone swimming despite warning signs having been placed on the beach.

 

After the alarm was raised Koh Chang Rescue managed to recover two of the girls. While one was taken to hospital and has survived, the other girl tragically died.

 

With the third girl still missing, rescue workers continued their search but were unable to battle the strong waves and adverse conditions.

 

Lewis, 29, who has previous search and rescue experience, was called to help with the rescue operation by his friend who is heavily involved with Koh Chang Rescue and knew he was on the island.

 

“The guys at Koh Chang Rescue worked tirelessly through the night until 1am but were unable to locate the third girl as the sea was too rough and it became dangerous”, Lewis told Thaivisa over Facebook.

 

“They began searching again on Sunday morning but again were struggling and that’s when I received a call.”

 

Lewis explained how the rescue workers needed someone with extra strength to lead a group out to break through the waves and into the rip tide where the body of the young girl was thought to be trapped.

 

“I headed straight down there and lead a team out and I found the body and brought it back to the beach,” Lewis explained.

 

 

 

Footage of Lewis carrying the body of the girl was featured in a Channel 8 news bulletin.

 

People commenting about the incident on Facebook called Lewis a hero.

 

However, when speaking to Thaivisa, Lewis downplayed his own efforts insisting the real heroes were the Koh Chang Rescue, who receive no funding and rely entirely on donations.

 

Lewis said how he wanted to use the tragic event to highlight the work of Koh Chang Rescue, who he said are all volunteers and regularly risk their own lives to save others.

 

He intends to launch a fundraising campaign for Koh Chang Rescue, who he says are in desperate need of new equipment.

 

Thaivisa will share details of the fundraising campaign when it is launched.

 

You can find out more about Koh Chang Rescue on their Facebook page

 

Koh Chang Rescue

 

UPDATED:

 

You can donate to Koh Chang Rescue here: https://www.gofundme.com/koh-chang-rescue-volunteers

 

[Lungstib]

Isn't it great to see foreigners doing things because it is the right the thing to do, not because of the rewards. I hope Thailand gets the message one day and lets 'visitors' get involved without needing work permits or papers. First the cave now the beach, what next? We live here, we'd like to help.

[Thian]

11 minutes ago, Lungstib said:

Isn't it great to see foreigners doing things because it is the right the thing to do, not because of the rewards. I hope Thailand gets the message one day and lets 'visitors' get involved without needing work permits or papers. First the cave now the beach, what next? We live here, we'd like to help.

I would rescue people again without any reward since i hate to be on a pic like above.

 

So when i was swimming at Samui and heard `HEY YOU YOU YOU`´ close to me and only saw a pair of hands going under i rescued the Thai man and on put him on the beach infront of his 2 kids and wife who were screaming loud....After that i went straight back into the sea and didn´t speak to them anymore at all...It was nothing special, lift a man and swim him to the beach....

 

Thai should learn that if they can´t swim they should try it in sea but in a babypool.

[NCC1701A]

well done to these heroes.

 

RIP young girl.

 

I would teach the importance of electrical grounding and safe stopping distance while driving but "no can".

[Enoon]

 

Aren't rescue swimmers for instant, zero time reaction?

 

"where the body of the young girl was thought to be trapped"

 

Seeing as how it was known to be a corpse retrieval from the outset why was it necessary to risk swimmers?

 

Why not use a boat and a net?

 

 

[chrisinth]

11 hours ago, Lungstib said:

Isn't it great to see foreigners doing things because it is the right the thing to do, not because of the rewards. I hope Thailand gets the message one day and lets 'visitors' get involved without needing work permits or papers. First the cave now the beach, what next? We live here, we'd like to help.

There is absolutely no problem with a tourist (or ex-pat) getting involved in a rescue like this if he has something to offer, no reprisals are going to happen.

 

The work permit card however is a good excuse for some to avoid getting involved in a situation like this.

[thaiguzzi]

Kudos to the guy.

I'm just surprised, this being Thai Visa, that I haven't read any Tattoo'd thug/lowlife/scum comments yet.

[alfalfa19]

heroes all, especially considering they're not getting paid. 

[AsiaHand]

10 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

well done to these heroes.

 

RIP young girl.

 

I would teach the importance of electrical grounding and safe stopping distance while driving but "no can".

First of all in teaching any subject one must have students that actually want to learn the lesson. In most of Asia in order to teach lessons in proper driving Technics  you would have to try to undo eons of the learned lessons of the "Me First Syndrome" that seems to be embedded in their brains. 

[Mansell]

I was just in Koh Chang over the long weekend a few weeks ago. I took my folding kayak, but the sea was pretty rough. I have been out in six foot waves before now, but toss in a strong wind and the whole dynamic changes. So I opted to keep it in my car. It is surprising that most people have no clue about the sea and its potential to kill. But it is the same in England......folks do not understand a rip current. Sadly it is pretty easy toget out of if you don't panic and stay calm......but you need the knowledge in the first place. Poor child.

[Thingamabob]

Respect.

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, Lungstib said:

Isn't it great to see foreigners doing things because it is the right the thing to do, not because of the rewards. I hope Thailand gets the message one day and lets 'visitors' get involved without needing work permits or papers. First the cave now the beach, what next? We live here, we'd like to help.

Police force?

 

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, chrisinth said:

There is absolutely no problem with a tourist (or ex-pat) getting involved in a rescue like this if he has something to offer, no reprisals are going to happen.

 

The work permit card however is a good excuse for some to avoid getting involved in a situation like this.

Were Thai officials not stopping volunteers trying to help at the Tsamui for not having work permits?

[dirtynomad]

it's ok if you are a strong swimmer going in to rescue people, but if you're not just shrug your shoulders and say you can't swim.

 

it's not worth risking your own life for someone else's poor decision.

[SteveK]

17 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Were Thai officials not stopping volunteers trying to help at the Tsamui for not having work permits?

Presuming you mean Tsunami, I bloody hope not.

[NoshowJones]

23 minutes ago, pr9spk said:

Presuming you mean Tsunami, I bloody hope not.

It's true, I only found that out when reading about the boys being trapped in the cave.

A poster mentioned it, and like you, I questioned it, and it was confirmed by other posters.

[SteveK]

5 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

It's true, I only found that out when reading about the boys being trapped in the cave.

A poster mentioned it, and like you, I questioned it, and it was confirmed by other posters.

That's outrageous. It just shows the mentality of some people.

 

However, I was recently shocked to find that the Laos government was refusing Thai aid of food, clothing and medical supplies from Thai people after their catastrophic floods. I knew because I was at Chong Mek with a pickup truck full of clothes and dried noodles.