webfact Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 Picture: Thai Rath Police and navy divers were called after a woman learning to free dive 8 nautical miles off Sattahip was dragged under water by a rope attached to a 10 kilogram weight that snapped dragging her underwater. The accident happened during a sudden riptide according to one of the instructors present in the area near Koh Juang, Samae San. Naval Special warfare Command divers and rescue services found Hataya Rimphanawet, 35, under the sea with her right hand entangled in 10-15 meters of red rope that had been attached to the metal weight. Thararat, 34, an instructor said that at 11 am yesterday a group of students were being taught to free dive without aids in 20 meters of water. A sudden powerful riptide hit the area detaching the support boat's anchor from its rope. The boat flowed away on the riptide and everyone was ordered out of the water or to hold onto a buoy, reported Thai Rath. But the victim got entangled in a rope and as instructors tried to free her the rope snapped and she was dragged under water by the weight. They tried to find and help her but she had been dragged away under the water. Rescue was called at noon and the body was found at 5.15 pm. The body was taken to the Police Hospital in Bangkok for autopsy as local police began their investigation. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-06-14 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - click here to find out more! Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Geoffggi Posted June 14, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted June 14, 2022 Sounds to me like a serious lack of safety precautions/planning or contingecies by the instructors 16 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post RandiRona Posted June 14, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted June 14, 2022 Safety lacks in pretty much all trades, most is managed through amulets! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post scubascuba3 Posted June 14, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted June 14, 2022 Sad. Aren't riptides known in certain areas? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post richard_smith237 Posted June 14, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted June 14, 2022 Just now, Geoffggi said: Sounds to me like a serious lack of safety precautions/planning or contingecies by the instructors My first impression from the article.... a massive massive abuse of safety regulations and short cuts potentially taken... Obviously we don’t know... but for someone to get dragged down snagged to a weight must be a hideous way to go. Obviously we are reading a Thai-centric forum. However, we read of many deadly incidents here in Thailand which seem disproportionate compared to many of the countries we come from - a disregard for the most basic of safety measures is always an underlying theme. 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post scubascuba3 Posted June 14, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted June 14, 2022 1 minute ago, RandiRona said: Safety lacks in pretty much all trades, most is managed through amulets! Kinda funny you say that. I was in a minivan heading for some diving on Bali once, the guide stopped on the way to pray we weren't going to have a diving accident, it's easier and cheaper than ensuring equipment is good 1 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post richard_smith237 Posted June 14, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted June 14, 2022 1 minute ago, scubascuba3 said: Sad. Aren't riptides known in certain areas? In this case I think its the equivalent of ‘brake-failure’... (i.e. deflect and blame something else). 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keith101 Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 9 minutes ago, Geoffggi said: Sounds to me like a serious lack of safety precautions/planning or contingecies by the instructors TIT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Moonlover Posted June 14, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted June 14, 2022 33 minutes ago, Geoffggi said: Sounds to me like a serious lack of safety precautions/planning or contingecies by the instructors The location and timings of rip tides should be well known to the management of a freediving school. It is vital for the safety and well being of both instructors and their clients. This is potentially the most dangerous activity one can undertake in the sea. It's the aquatic version of free climbing. You only make a mistake once. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post jacko45k Posted June 14, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted June 14, 2022 3 hours ago, Geoffggi said: Sounds to me like a serious lack of safety precautions/planning or contingecies by the instructors It really does doesn't it. I went snorkeling with a pal once and asked him why he carried a knife... he was a scuba guy normally, and told me you never know when you might need to cut yourself free. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAFETY FIRST Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 3 hours ago, webfact said: 10 kilogram weight that snapped dragging her underwater Snapped. Safety checks. So many sad death stories, most can be avoided. Bloody laziness. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PETERTHEEATER Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 What state was the 'rope' in before the incident. Ropes like that usually have a very high breaking strain.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elkski Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 A great way to promote tourism. My heart goes out to this brave woman who was killed by a rotting rope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidneyw Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 9 hours ago, webfact said: A sudden powerful riptide hit the area detaching the support boat's anchor from its rope. Was it not tied on properly? Or was it not very thick that it snapped? Either way, the boat people's fault. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cncltd1973 Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 1 hour ago, kidneyw said: Was it not tied on properly? Or was it not very thick that it snapped? Either way, the boat people's fault. definitely the boater's fault. sounds like the anchor separated from the rope, and another rope that was tied to a buoy. that's 2 ropes. either someone doesn't know how to tie a proper knot or the ropes are way too old. for 2 things to go wrong resulting in a death, the boater has a lot of explaining/blaming to do 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwill Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 The boat was pulled by a riptide but they were told to exit the water. So where they in the riptide too or not? Something seems fishy in the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arithai12 Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 2 hours ago, kidneyw said: Was it not tied on properly? Or was it not very thick that it snapped? Either way, the boat people's fault. First, RIP to the poor lady. I have freedived a lot in my days, and I have seen my share of ugly accidents. So sad. About your judgement on the "boat people", I beg to differ. Once she is in the water with an instructor, it's his/her responsibility to check all equipment. btw, in variable weight - which apparently is what she was doing - you normally hold a weight tied to a rope, when you reach the prefixed depth you let go and swim back up. So it the rope "snapped" as the article implies, it would have been so easy to let go and abort. Perhaps she got entangled in the snapped rope? Perhaps the descent was too quick and she passed out and could not react? More importantly, if it is true that they were diving with just 20m sea floor, it would have been very easy for the instructor (assuming he/she was properly qualified) to dive down and take her back even if unconscious. It's part of a freediving instructor course to do that up to 40m. Of course, I say this without having been there. Since they mention a current, perhaps the instructor did try to reach her and could not find her due to poor visibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arithai12 Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, cncltd1973 said: definitely the boater's fault. sounds like the anchor separated from the rope, and another rope that was tied to a buoy. that's 2 ropes. either someone doesn't know how to tie a proper knot or the ropes are way too old. for 2 things to go wrong resulting in a death, the boater has a lot of explaining/blaming to do read my comment just above this one. Edited June 14, 2022 by arithai12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morrobay Posted June 15, 2022 Share Posted June 15, 2022 Very strong and fast moving tidal currents between islands and around points in that area. Even scuba divers off Samay San have been swept away in deep water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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