Polish tourist and Thai female remain missing after kayak trip off Phuket

[stevenl]

1 minute ago, Reigntax said:

 

Many people have disappeared in Phuket only to be found dazed and disoriented a few days later, usually with an empty wallet, slightly scruffy and with partial memory loss. 

Huh?

[hobobo]

4 hours ago, tifino said:

... canoo'dling in the bedroom is much safer after all... 

… agreed, but they may well be out in the open. I'd even canoodle in the kayak than freeze... ????

[ChipButty]

7 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

It's not exactly snow and ice weather in Thailand...ever

Never said it was did I?

[Vacuum]

8 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Whats the chances of survival with the temperatures dropping at night?

On Phuket, they should be great. You should try the north...

[Mansell]

If they have a sit on kayak and they are stuck out on the water overnight, not a lot of fun. But if it isn’t windy and no big waves it is doable.....waves and wind and then it becomes more serious. They just have to stay level headed. I have a sit in kayak, and I have it rigged for sleeping in if I’m doing between islands because the wind around Phuket comes up very quickly. When kayaking always have a backup plan in case the <deleted> hits the fan. A cell phone is a must. But tourists with minimal experience....good luck. 

[Brigand]

Death, or getting into serious problems, through misadventure seems to be ever more common regardless of the activity (from kayaks to big bikes to adventure parks gone wrong and the rest) and Phuket is notorious for this. I would hazard a guess that this sort of hubris from tourists has much to do with the social media thirst for silly pictures to make you look good/active/adventurous etc. so you can be vainglorious about it all on your Facebook page/blog or when you go back home to those around you. Safety seems to have a low priority these days and, well, just silly how many people die or get injured taking a selfie for some silly end or another. Don't get me wrong, hope they are found OK ... but could so easily be the beginnings of another avoidable tragic story. I can just imagine/speculate on the conversation before they set off ... something along the lines of "Hey, grab your camera and let's go kayaking for the day around the island, then post it all on the net" with scant regard for anything else. What could possibly go wrong?

[Old Croc]

All the experts here quoting average sea temperatures and maximum daytime temperatures on the island have obviously never been at sea overnight in a small boat in strong winds.  It won't be snowing, but you could still die of exposure.

Try reading, just down the page, about the longtail that was swamped inside the bay on the same day. The occupants luckily were close to a small island, but had to light a fire to warm up.

It should be noted the Phuket Yacht club called off their regatta on the same day because of strong winds.

These ladies weren't inside the bay, but on the ocean side of the island. If they were swept out to sea in those conditions I fear greatly for their chances of survival.  The search today was apparently covering north to the Similians and out west for 20 Km. A massive search area.

[freestyle]

Does anyone know if strong currents can sweep a kayak away?

I one rented a kayak in ko samet, and was thinking of going to the mini island just below samet (south).
A thai guy told me better not to go there, because between the 2 islands there is a strong current he said, and i might not be able to come back. That scared me enough to not go there.

In the end it turned out that wasn't the only danger, because when we were out a little in the sea, we where suddenly surrounded by jellyfish, which was scary since the water was kind of wavy that day, and the kayak not very stable.

[ChipButty]

14 hours ago, Vacuum said:

On Phuket, they should be great. You should try the north...

My friends tell me it's cold here in Phuket at the moment it is cold I was out on my bike at 6am it was cold, Im thinking it will be worse out at sea 

[morrobay]

https://www.google.com/search?q=photos+ko+man+island&biw=1600&bih=789&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=i76oPuHqHljdMM%3A%2CyEudxDjyGEh0NM%2C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kRY9PA_Y71watYwmzt6Rlu

 

 Not hat far off shore but that location off the tip of Phuket could also have very strong tidal currents.

 Then strong offshore winds and chop/waves...  

[Hanuman2547]

Any update on the missing kayakers? 

[freestyle]

Seems like they are still searching:
https://www.thephuketnews.com/mother-holds-out-hope-for-daughter-missing-on-kayak-73965.php

 

And about the reason they couldn't make it back:
" Mateusz called one of the tourists in the group and said his kayak had been blown away by strong winds and the current and they could not row back. The people on the shore then lost contact with Mateusz and called police. "
The police chief said: "We believe that their kayak was wrecked and they are stranded in the sea or on a island.
Source: https://7news.com.au/news/disaster-and-emergency/polish-tourist-and-female-friend-missing-after-thailand-kayaking-trip-c-597505

Maybe they tried to go on land, and they slipped of the rocks after a wave clashed.
And the kayak might have floated away.
I hope they'll be fine, will follow up this one...

[ChipButty]

This is not looking good 

[freestyle]

yes, i'm worried too  ????

It's taking too long....

It's so strange how ordinary activities can quickly turn bad.
Recently i saw a documentary about an english teacher who went on a trip to ko chang, jumped in the water with his buddy at 6am in the morning, and got pulled away by a current. He was found dead on the beach 200m further the next day. His buddy however was able to somehow swim back to the beach, completely exhausted. Hearing him talk about the experience just rips your heart out. ????

[beechbum]

On 12/9/2019 at 10:38 AM, Matzzon said:

???????????? Really???? Are you serious?

You do know that you have been reading the tourist beach temperatures during daytime, right?

So, what you are saying is that it´s about 28 degrees in the evening around 21.00 in the water around a kayak maybe 100 meter out?

Sure you do not want to reconsider that?

If your going to try and make a smart comment at the very least you should first be smart....

That's the max/min for Nai Harn taken from several years of data.

Even without that most realise it gets nowhere near 16° even at night 100 meters off shore.

[Old Croc]

On 12/10/2019 at 12:43 AM, Old Croc said:

 

These ladies weren't inside the bay, but on the ocean side of the island. If they were swept out to sea in those conditions I fear greatly for their chances of survival.  The search today was apparently covering north to the Similians and out west for 20 Km. A massive search area.

Some corrections from my previous post. Apparently the Pole is a male.

The search area covered 20 nautical miles out to sea, not 20km.

 

 

[beechbum]

I remember a few months after the tsunami one of the hobby cats from patong being found just offshore east coast India, some very strong currents out there.

[Matzzon]

1 hour ago, beechbum said:

If your going to try and make a smart comment at the very least you should first be smart....

That's the max/min for Nai Harn taken from several years of data.

Even without that most realise it gets nowhere near 16° even at night 100 meters off shore.

Do you have any clue about calculations with temperatures combined with the wind as well as humidity in air?

The fact is that only a 15 mph wind out on the water can in reality make temperature between 30-35% depending on the air pressure and humidity level.

[CharlieH]

Reported bickering posts removed.