The woman was caught in a dangerous rip current near the rocks at the beach. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

 

PHUKET: Lifeguards at Surin Beach in Cherng Talay are urging all beachgoers to swim only between the red-yellow flags after a foreign woman was rescued from a dangerous rip current late yesterday afternoon (Aug 12).

 

The foreign woman was brought safely back to shore at about 5:45pm, one lifeguard at the beach, who asked not to be named, told The Phuket News.

 

“The woman appeared to have been drinking [alcohol] before entering the water,” he said.

 

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/foreign-woman-rescued-from-dangerous-phuket-surf-81041.php

 

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This sounds like misinformation to me. There is no surf around Phuket in the summer, only the winter. A rip current can exist without surf. To handle a rip you just swim out to sea at an angle and it will spit you out…..or if you just float it will take you out for quite a way, but eventually dissipate, and you swim back to the shore. Number one thing they taught us in the Royal Navy, “Panic kills.”

15 minutes ago, Mansell said:

This sounds like misinformation to me. There is no surf around Phuket in the summer, only the winter. A rip current can exist without surf. To handle a rip you just swim out to sea at an angle and it will spit you out…..or if you just float it will take you out for quite a way, but eventually dissipate, and you swim back to the shore. Number one thing they taught us in the Royal Navy, “Panic kills.”

Maybe tell the many surfers that are here in summer that they're here at the wrong time of the year.

13 minutes ago, Mansell said:

This sounds like misinformation to me. There is no surf around Phuket in the summer, only the winter. A rip current can exist without surf. To handle a rip you just swim out to sea at an angle and it will spit you out…..or if you just float it will take you out for quite a way, but eventually dissipate, and you swim back to the shore. Number one thing they taught us in the Royal Navy, “Panic kills.”

We've had smaller surf lately, granted, but still surf of some sorts and rips at Surin and Kamala even though were coming out of rainy storm swell season. I surf at a few of the beaches, and a couple of southern point/rock ledge breaks on Phuket (such as it is lol) every season and was born and bred in the waves of Manly and Sydneys north shore, and was an lifeguard for many years so I got cred on this subject.

There have been rips running at Surin of late, gutters, drop offs (somewhat unusual for this beach), under-tow, and cross-tows.

Being <deleted>, and if a European, probably used to flat almost still water so probably a lousy surf swimmer wouldn't have helped the woman either.

Rule 1 never NEVER swim with alcohol or other drugs in your system (includes the morning after being smashed)!  Rule 2 never forget rule 1,  Rule 3 never swim alone and if you do always let lifeguards know where you're going in, Rule 4 never swim anywhere beyond you capabilities, Rule 5 never dive into water you're not absolutely sure of - this includes at the beach too not just murky river or swimming pools. Rule 6 teach your kids how to swim art a very very early age. 

The main problem with the situation at beaches right now it's that lazy lifegaurds stick red flags all along the shore, except 20 meter where they sit and drink beer all day....! They don't want to bother walking around or really taking care of people....????

 

When something like this happens , they kind of wake up and do a bit more next few weeks, pressure from higher up I guess - they have become more active in Nai Harn beach now, after an incident a few weeks ago ..

 

As far as I'm concerned they are the most useless bunch of waste of space non-workers here, and then use their authority to harress people , blow their whistle when they occasionally wake up from their nap to tell them to get out of water or move etc. ...!

 

In that 20 meter they also have all their surfer friends and jetski mafia (and now kitesurfers) to share that space with swimmers, all very dangerously coming closer together..., but despite I have mentioned this to them a few times, it's well beyond their little brain capability to grasp...!

 

If you hear about events like this news , it's not because they themselves were looking out , but other people probably saw this woman in trouble and alerted them...

 

(Yes, you guessed it, I don't like these clowns...., that's my rant for today... ????).

 

4 hours ago, Mansell said:

This sounds like misinformation to me. There is no surf around Phuket in the summer, only the winter. A rip current can exist without surf. To handle a rip you just swim out to sea at an angle and it will spit you out…..or if you just float it will take you out for quite a way, but eventually dissipate, and you swim back to the shore. Number one thing they taught us in the Royal Navy, “Panic kills.”

No idea where you visit, but Kata Noi had huge waves a couple of days ago. 

Not the right time for swimming in many parts of Phuket this time of year.

 

Be nice if they posted safe areas for tourists to go to swim.

 

Booked a few nights in Mai Khaow beach.  It was 

To dangerous to swim.  I was little bummed.  Looked really dangerous and lifeguards were adamant about even getting your feet wet.

 

Nice buffet breakfast though.

22 hours ago, Agusts said:

The main problem with the situation at beaches right now it's that lazy lifegaurds stick red flags all along the shore, except 20 meter where they sit and drink beer all day....! They don't want to bother walking around or really taking care of people....????

 

When something like this happens , they kind of wake up and do a bit more next few weeks, pressure from higher up I guess - they have become more active in Nai Harn beach now, after an incident a few weeks ago ..

 

As far as I'm concerned they are the most useless bunch of waste of space non-workers here, and then use their authority to harress people , blow their whistle when they occasionally wake up from their nap to tell them to get out of water or move etc. ...!

 

In that 20 meter they also have all their surfer friends and jetski mafia (and now kitesurfers) to share that space with swimmers, all very dangerously coming closer together..., but despite I have mentioned this to them a few times, it's well beyond their little brain capability to grasp...!

 

If you hear about events like this news , it's not because they themselves were looking out , but other people probably saw this woman in trouble and alerted them...

 

(Yes, you guessed it, I don't like these clowns...., that's my rant for today... ????).

 

Granted Agusts, Yeah they're not much chop compared to Aussie lifeguards that's for sure LOL ????  But that's a pretty high bar to meet for me to be fair.

I certainly don't rely on them for help lol ???? I have a big smile on my dial when they come down to me at the waters edge and warn me not to go in before I swim out in 5ft surf to body surf and exercise my skills. They get a total shock every time I swim out with ease and ride the biggest waves all the way to the beach hahaha. 

11 hours ago, Tropposurfer said:

Granted Agusts, Yeah they're not much chop compared to Aussie lifeguards that's for sure LOL ????  But that's a pretty high bar to meet for me to be fair.

I certainly don't rely on them for help lol ???? I have a big smile on my dial when they come down to me at the waters edge and warn me not to go in before I swim out in 5ft surf to body surf and exercise my skills. They get a total shock every time I swim out with ease and ride the biggest waves all the way to the beach hahaha. 

Life gaurds tell you not to go out swimming because of dangerous undertows and riptides.

 

But the expert you are you ignore them and do it anyways.

 

So now you're using up there time to watch you while others may need help.

 

Sounds idiotic.