Swiss woman, 82, dies at Phuket beach

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Swiss woman, 82, dies at Phuket beach

By Eakkapop Thongtub

 

Bang Tao Beach. Photo: Teerakit Vijitanankul

 

PHUKET: An 82-year-old Swiss woman has died after being pulled from the water unconscious and unresponsive at Bang Tao Beach yesterday afternoon (Jan 11).

 

Maj Wattanathon Bumrongthin of the Cherng Talay Police reported that he was notified of the death at 3pm.

 

The woman  had arrived in Phuket on holiday with her husband on Thursday (Jan 9), Maj Wattanathon reported.

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/swiss-woman-82-dies-at-phuket-beach-74347.php

 

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2020-01-13

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[RJRS1301]

More reasons for trained life savers at beaches perhaps?

RIP 

[shy coconut]

28 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

More reasons for trained life savers at beaches perhaps?

RIP 

Perhaps, but given that the lady's husband was playing in the water right next to

her at the time and saw her face down and unresponsive in the water, I wouldn't 

have thought even the best life savers could have helped.

 

 

[RJRS1301]

Perhaps, but was he capable of or knowledgable about CPR?

Still 82 good innings, awful holiday tragedy though

[tifino]

given her age, a knowledgeable(from much past experiences)  resuscitation team would likely not even attempt... ???? 

[CharlieH]

Not an opportunity for humor and tasteless remarks.

 

Please keep any comment respectful.

 

Thank you

[cornishcarlos]

5 minutes ago, tifino said:

given her age, a knowledgeable(from much past experiences)  resuscitation team would likely not even attempt... ???? 

 

What's the cut off age for not bothering with CPR !! 

[tifino]

4 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

What's the cut off age for not bothering with CPR !! 

well, yes it is more that 'Purely' age per se ...

but the equations to work out chances of survivability, due to/frailty and health history tkane from the hubby etc  are what a suitably experienced team could consider into it

[Oziex1]

29 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

What's the cut off age for not bothering with CPR !! 

I don't believe these decisions are on the mind of first responders. 

[LeungKen]

Another tasteless comment has been removed.

 

Further comments of this nature will result in official warnings.

[shy coconut]

1 hour ago, RJRS1301 said:

Perhaps, but was he capable of or knowledgable about CPR?

Still 82 good innings, awful holiday tragedy though

Are you suggesting that a fully qualified CPR administrator should be in the sea

at all times just in case someone gets into difficulties?

 

Several people brought her out of the water and attempted to revive her, I doubt

even a professional Australian (for example) life guard could have helped this

unfortunate lady.

 

Enough arguing from me, it must be an awfully sad time for her husband and an absolute

shock to him at what should be a lovely holiday.

[Old Croc]

According to the article CPR was performed as soon as she was taken from the water.

The journalist seems to be suggesting that the doctor's quick diagnosis of death by drowning didn't take into account the benign sea conditions nor the likelihood of any medical condition being a factor.

[BritManToo]

I'm thinking at 82 she could have dropped dead while walking along the road, or sleeping in bed.

Not a bad way to go, on holiday with your husband while splashing each other in the sea on a tropic beach.

[SiSePuede419]

I would guess she likely had a medical issue in the water.

 

Personally, I wouldn't recommend anyone to swim in the ocean.  Take a dip to get wet and cool off, sure.

 

But swim?

 

Unless your boat sinks and you want to save your life. 

 

Or perhaps you're snorkeling in calm, shallow waters near a reef with a guide and a nearby boat.

 

There is an Olympic size swimming pool here in Chiang Rai at a university here.  It's only 50B.  Swim there.  No sharks, foam, riptides, jellyfish, etc.

 

Why take the risk, especially if you are "of a certain age".

 

When I was in Cali a couple years ago, read about a young, ex-soldier, 20s who liked to swim in the ocean,  alone, at night, after he was drunk.  <deleted>?

 

He left a bar with friends, went to a liquor store and bought more.  Was last seen on CCTV walking towards Hermosa Beach.  Never seen again.  Never found the body.  Shark food?!?!

 

Don't do it.  Never.

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, SiSePuede419 said:

Or perhaps you're snorkeling in calm, shallow waters near a reef with a guide and a nearby boat.

There's been several drownings of tourists doing this fairly recently.

 

[Nyezhov]

11 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

When I was in Cali a couple years ago, read about a young, ex-soldier, 20s who liked to swim in the ocean,  alone, at night, after he was drunk.  <deleted>?

My idea of swimming in the ocean is to walk into it up to my knees and sit down and splash. I swam well when I was younger, now I just bob like a bagel in the kettle and sputter and get water up my nose, so I hang out in the kiddie area to stay safe.

[rwill]

2 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

What's the cut off age for not bothering with CPR !! 

It is more like "What is the cut off distance"  My brother was a paramedic.  He told me once it is extremely rare for anyone to be saved by CPR.  He said when they were in front of family they would do it to show the family they were trying.  But once they left they stopped doing it.

[stevenl]

19 minutes ago, rwill said:

It is more like "What is the cut off distance"  My brother was a paramedic.  He told me once it is extremely rare for anyone to be saved by CPR.  He said when they were in front of family they would do it to show the family they were trying.  But once they left they stopped doing it.

In general CPR will result in keeping the the brain alive with oxygen supply. The heart will still have to be restarted by other means.

[Tropposurfer]

The notion that any, any lifesaving service would not immediately begin CPR on any non-respiring unresponsive person because they are old is patently ridiculous. I was a volunteer lifeguard in Oz for 20 years so I have some small understanding of the processes of lifeguarding.

[RJRS1301]

4 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

What's the cut off age for not bothering with CPR !! 

None that I am aware of in a public space, hospital with DNR orders different situation

[RJRS1301]

36 minutes ago, Tropposurfer said:

The notion that any, any lifesaving service would not immediately begin CPR on any non-respiring unresponsive person because they are old is patently ridiculous. I was a volunteer lifeguard in Oz for 20 years so I have some small understanding of the processes of lifeguarding.

My belief also and as person trained in CPR i would attempt until paramedics arrived if possible

[LeungKen]

1 off topic & trollish, poor taste post removed.

[Tropposurfer]

In Oz once CPR is begun it is not stopped by the initial lifeguard responders EVER once started.

CPR is: 30 compressions to 2 breaths. 

It is done until the patient responds and or is handed over to the ambulance service for transportation to hospital - even if this takes hours! 

Defib is applied on the sand when there is a defib unit available and the patient's heart has definitely stopped, and staff are trained to use it (modern defib units are almost automatic and require very little human input to be operated).

Either way CPR is continued until the patient breathes on their own or is handed over to other medical teams for continued external heart massage and lung inflation ('the bag' or by blowing air into the lungs).

If the patient's heart fails to start on the sand after CPR and defib, CPR is continued without interruption!

• You NEVER stop CPR EVER this is rule one on page one (until a doctor tells you to stop) !
• If anyone reading this comes across a person drowned:
• remove them to the water's edge as fast as you can Apply DRSABCD:

1. Danger - look to you or others 
2. Response - call loudly to the patient, can rub the breast bone with your knuckles to stimulate consciousness.
3. Send for help - if isolated take mobile set to speaker and dial emergency number - don't let this delay CPR!
4. Airway - clear if blocked
5. Breathing - set head into position so airway is open and begin breathing for the patient (CPR)
6. Compressions (CPR)
7. Defibrillation (if available)

• if in the water or on a boat, or on surfboard or other floatation device and distant from the sand you can float the victim and get others to help prior to reaching the beach and begin resuscitation (breathing for them) right there and then.
• Getting oxygen to the brain and to circulate this assisted oxygen uptake through the brain is CRUCIAL VITAL so even a few breaths before reaching the sand can be beneficial. I've seen where forcing air into a drowned persons lungs has made them cough up water from the lungs and begin to breath miraculously, without any compressions, while laying in a surfboard 60m metres from the beach! 
• CPR must be begun ASAP once it has been discerned that the person in not breathing / heart stopped.
• The initiation of CPR is not graded by considered whether it will be successful or not ... it is simply DONE!
• The notion that the heart will not restart through CPR alone is untrue (I speak from a handful of experiences doing CPR on non breathing drowned/dead people and their hearts have restarted and they became conscious (even people who have been dead for at least a few minutes), I also have administered defib on a handful of similar dead cases on the sand this along with CPR has returned the patient to autonomic breathing and consciousness i.e. until the defib was administered, uninterrupted CPR was vital in keep the brain oxygenated
• I know of no one in the field of lifesaving that would ever entertain STOPPING CPR except in the case where they're own life might be in danger and even then I have seen people continue the strenuous CPR process until they tore muscles, have collapsed from exhaustion, and caused other damage to themselves due to the prolonged administration of CPR.
• If you don't know how to do CPR go and learn it could be someone you love that needs it. 

[overherebc]

On 1/13/2020 at 9:45 AM, SiSePuede419 said:

I would guess she likely had a medical issue in the water.

 

Personally, I wouldn't recommend anyone to swim in the ocean.  Take a dip to get wet and cool off, sure.

 

But swim?

 

Unless your boat sinks and you want to save your life. 

 

Or perhaps you're snorkeling in calm, shallow waters near a reef with a guide and a nearby boat.

 

There is an Olympic size swimming pool here in Chiang Rai at a university here.  It's only 50B.  Swim there.  No sharks, foam, riptides, jellyfish, etc.

 

Why take the risk, especially if you are "of a certain age".

 

When I was in Cali a couple years ago, read about a young, ex-soldier, 20s who liked to swim in the ocean,  alone, at night, after he was drunk.  <deleted>?

 

He left a bar with friends, went to a liquor store and bought more.  Was last seen on CCTV walking towards Hermosa Beach.  Never seen again.  Never found the body.  Shark food?!?!

 

Don't do it.  Never.

Where land meets the sea civilization ends. Go further than that line all you are doing is entering the food chain.