Phuket speedboat captain, crewman and guide all charged for Chinese tourist slashed by Phi Phi tour boat propeller

By Tavee Adam

 

Police have confirmed that the speedboat captain, crewman and the tour guide have all been charged for recklessness causing serious injury and are being detained. Photo: Phuket TAC

 

PHUKET:-- Police have confirmed that the boat captain, his boat crewmen assistant and the tour guide present when a Chinese tourist had her legs slashed by a tour speedboat propeller at Phi Phi Island on Saturday (Dec 1) have been charged and are currently in detention.

 

The tourist, 39-year-old Jang Sia Dan, suffered deep lacerations to both legs, with the her leg slashed to the bone, as she got off the back of the boat while it was reversing to moor at Pileh Bay.

 

She was rushed to Phi Phi Hospital for emergency treatment, then sped back to Phuket for extensive treatment at Vachira Hospital Phuket in Phuket Town.

 

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-speedboat-captain-crewman-and-guide-all-charged-for-chinese-tourist-slashed-by-phi-phi-tour-boat-propeller-69584.php#PBJYWS0QVL0ACVtq.97

I am surprised the tourguide, who was apparently Chinese, is still in the country.

Sounds a bit silly that the TG was/is being charged, unless they've (captain and crew) said safety information given by the captain wasn't passed on.

Why? how is it anyones fault that she is a complete dumbass. Boat was still reversing meaning engines still running, it takes a real dumbass to jump off at the back where engines are still running.

 

If anything,she should be charged with stupidity and not allowed not only to return but to leave her village in China

And the owner? What of the owner?

 

7 minutes ago, beechbum said:

Sounds a bit silly that the TG was/is being charged, unless they've (captain and crew) said safety information given by the captain wasn't passed on.

The tourguide is looking after the well being of the guests, so that was clearly a fail.

Also apparently the tourguide was illegal, so easy to blame and charge.

3 minutes ago, Chang_paarp said:

And the owner? What of the owner?

 

seemingly forgotten, left floundering by the wai side

Before a group of stupid Chinese tourists enter the boat in the first place they should get instructions by the tour guide about what to do and what not to do.

 

Very simple really , when the engines are switched on , do not jump . 

Good the accident happened on water or the driver of the boat would have run away, then later become a monk for good merit.

Good, now that's sorted the Chinese will come flooding back

10 hours ago, stevenl said:

The tourguide is looking after the well being of the guests, so that was clearly a fail.

Also apparently the tourguide was illegal, so easy to blame and charge.

While on the boat the captain and crew are the ones in charge, the tour guide should only be passing information given, but agreed on the illegal easy target bit.

If someone jumps off a still running train, falls and gets injured, will the engine driver be charged ?

I doubt...

28 minutes ago, beechbum said:

While on the boat the captain and crew are the ones in charge, the tour guide should only be passing information given, but agreed on the illegal easy target bit.

Not on the water. There is a special class, yellow class tourguides, and they are supposed to do much more than the standard land tourguide.

50 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Not on the water. There is a special class, yellow class tourguides, and they are supposed to do much more than the standard land tourguide.

Fair enough but they're still the lowest on the totem while on a vessel at sea...Captain, crew, guide.

Apply's to any sea going vessel.

Why are boats not fitted with propeller guards? 

2 minutes ago, alanrchase said:

Why are boats not fitted with propeller guards? 

Agreed, crazy isn't it.

I think they were all to blame in one way or another,

The Chinese Lady is obviously as dumb as a bag of bolts for jumping off a moving vessel, and unfortunately paid the price. 

If the boat captain was reversing the craft to moor up as the initial accounts say then he should have the crewman standing at the stern as a lookout, and also to prevent anyone going near the transom. The Guide failed to control her charges probably, again due to a lack of knowledge. i am not conversant with the buiold layout of the boat, but could there not be a gateway or guardwire across the stern to prevent passengers from getting onto the diving platform until it is safe.

I guess it also boils down to a lack of training, poor standards in the issuance of a Captains license, and also the requirements as regards knowledge etc, to become a crewman. 

Unfortunately it is not the first time, nor will it be the last that this type of accident will occur.

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

Not on the water. There is a special class, yellow class tourguides, and they are supposed to do much more than the standard land tourguide.

So the alleged (haven't seen it reported anywhere) illegal guide was a special Yellow class, even though supposedly being illegal?

5 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

could there not be a gateway or guardwire across the stern to prevent passengers from getting onto the diving platform until it is safe.

Not if it's one of the standard Chalong /Rawai speedboats.

I want to be a speed boat captain when i grow up. I get paid 500 bt a day and when some idiot gets hurt i go to jail.

What more could a boy ask for.

In my opinion, the blame lies with the owner, for not ensuring proper Health & Safety training for all staff.

 

However, I think that 'H& E' is a concept unknown here.

 

Captain's & crew get quite good money, made up from salary, & tips.

Good job police, and keeping those, so called, boat handlers ashore will keep tourists safer.

2 hours ago, alanrchase said:

Why are boats not fitted with propeller guards? 

They don't want to spend a few baht on safety basicly

Didn't the Governor of Phuket recently demand the impementation of international standards for boat safety.

Well it made for a good 15 second sound bite didn't it. 

Agree the woman was stupid,but many of these Chinese may never have even see the ocean before,she may not even have known a sharp spinning thing called a propeller is what power's a boat and it's generally at the back. However this is no excuse,the crew guide should have ensured an accident of this nature could not happen,they had a duty of care and failed,so yet another blow to chinese tourism.

16 hours ago, BestB said:

Why? how is it anyones fault that she is a complete dumbass. Boat was still reversing meaning engines still running, it takes a real dumbass to jump off at the back where engines are still running.

 

If anything,she should be charged with stupidity and not allowed not only to return but to leave her village in China

It is the captains & crews joint responsibilities to make sure all personal on board are safe at all times.

This includes making sure no-one is trying to vacate the boat or that anyone is in the water around the boat while it is maneuvering. 

The captain & crew failed in not carrying out their duties and were not observant of what was happening on board!!

Guilty as charged... (even if she was a dumbass)

16 hours ago, BestB said:

Why? how is it anyones fault that she is a complete dumbass. Boat was still reversing meaning engines still running, it takes a real dumbass to jump off at the back where engines are still running.

 

If anything,she should be charged with stupidity and not allowed not only to return but to leave her village in China

Once one Chinese goes, they all go, in a mad scrum, elbows flying. The situation is irrelevant, queue for train tickets, oysters at the free buffet, immigration counter, Golden Week sales, it is all the same. Waiting is for suckers and being polite = losing out by being last. All of these tourists' parents will have first hand experience of famine (a real one where people die). The behaviour is ingrained.

 

The key for the Tour Guide was to prevent the first one going. If he fails to do that, all is lost.

15 hours ago, balo said:

Very simple really , when the engines are switched on , do not jump . 

Actually, I have been numerous times on diving boats on which it is specifically ordered, not just allowed, to jump into the water while the engines are on and/or the boat is moving. Usually forward, of course.

A large boat will rarely switch off the engines unless strictly required. Most times they are not anchored or moored, but keep taxing around waiting to pick up the divers, often very far from where they dived in.

 

Whether the guide and captain are responsible or not, depends on very important details which may have emerged (excuse the pun) during the investigation but which are not reported. The guide may have said "do not jump", and perhaps the lady did not hear or misunderstood. The guide cannot keep every diver on the leash. The captain is piloting, he is not looking at each individual diver. He simply gives an order when it is safe to dive. It is true there should be crew members on the lookout at the back of the boat during mooring, but she may have jumped without anyone being able to stop her. Then again they might be really guilty, we simply cannot say from what is presented.

 

Fact is, accidents happen. Every diver will tell you horror stories, even decapitations. This one gets special attention from the authorities because it involves a chinese, and therefore a scapegoat is needed whether real or not. Insurance payment would not happen if she was declared guilty.

4 hours ago, alanrchase said:

Why are boats not fitted with propeller guards? 

 

eats horsepowers

 

2 hours ago, arithai12 said:

Whether the guide and captain are responsible

A licensed Captain has the final word and overall responsibility on a vessel, there's no whether, if's or but's about that.

They weren't on a dive boat, they were on a speed boat.