77-year-old Australian man found after going missing while hiking on Koh Larn

[webfact]

PHOTO: TOPNEWS อนันต์ กิ่งสร / ทิวากร กฤษมณี

 

By Tanakorn Panyadee

 

Koh Larn, Pattaya —  A 77-year-old Australian man was finally found after going missing while hiking on Koh Larn with minor injuries and exhaustion from his ordeal. Almost 100 people reportedly partook in searching for him.

 

Baan Koh Larn rescuers received a report from the Pattaya Police Station that a 77-year-old Australian tourist, whose name was withheld, went astray near Samae Beach on Koh Larn, July 3rd. The man reportedly disappeared from his hiking group consisting of 20 people.

 

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2022/07/04/77-year-old-australian-man-found-after-going-missing-while-hiking-on-koh-larn/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2022-07-05

 

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[rizla]

He just went on walkabout m8

[RichardColeman]

After finishing a trail on Koh Larn, his company boarded a ferry back to Pattaya without a thorough check and only realized about his disappearance when they arrived at Pattaya. 

 

Any news on the sacking of the tour operator staff for gross negligence ? 

[pegman]

Guy his age should keep his trekking to the Coconut Bar. 

[grain]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

After finishing a trail on Koh Larn, his company boarded a ferry back to Pattaya without a thorough check and only realized about his disappearance when they arrived at Pattaya. 

 

Any news on the sacking of the tour operator staff for gross negligence ? 

There's no tour operator or staff. They're a private group of friends who hold regular fitness/social walks. The 77yo Aussie is not a Pattaya expat, he's a tourist who just got there a few days ago, so it was fairly easy for the rest of the group to not notice his absence until later. However, I suspect in the future they'll be having head counts before heading home.

[steven100]

silly old coot,   at 77 he should have stayed at the bar. 

[vandeventer]

6 minutes ago, grain said:

There's no tour operator or staff. They're a private group of friends who hold regular fitness/social walks. The 77yo Aussie is not a Pattaya expat, he's a tourist who just got there a few days ago, so it was fairly easy for the rest of the group to not notice his absence until later. However, I suspect in the future they'll be having head counts before heading home.

It's not easy to keep your eye on this old timer when you are miles in front of him.  There should have been someone with him at all times as hiking in the Thai bush is not easy.

[tandor]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

After finishing a trail on Koh Larn, his company boarded a ferry back to Pattaya without a thorough check and only realized about his disappearance when they arrived at Pattaya. 

 

Any news on the sacking of the tour operator staff for gross negligence ? 

...brings to mind the dive boat incident years ago on GBR.

[grain]

16 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

It's not easy to keep your eye on this old timer when you are miles in front of him.  There should have been someone with him at all times as hiking in the Thai bush is not easy.

I know the guy well, he's 77 but very fit, he does 10km runs, even longer, pretty well daily. Not many people would have been miles in front of him, most of the group would have been way behind him. What happened was he slipped on some loose rocks and had a spill and got some minor injuries. Still, the rest of the group should have noticed his absence and as I said above, they should have had a head count before departing the island. I'm sure this incident will bring about a couple of new regulations for the group. A similar group who hold regular walks/runs at Hua Hin stipulate that everybody carries their mobile phones and have the mobile numbers of a couple of others from the group, on their phones in case of mishaps like this.

Edited July 4, 2022 by grain

[pomchop]

seems  lot of young whippersnappers on here think a 77 y.o. man is too old to go for a walk?  Really?

 

77 not all that old if you have taken reasonable care of yourself and walk most everyday.. i am close to that and did a 252 mile hike in the mountains not long ago.

[AhFarangJa]

Whatever the circumstances or sequence of events that led to his misfortune I believe a big thank you should go out to the hundred or so volunteers that were involved in finding him. well done to each and every one.

[giddyup]

51 minutes ago, steven100 said:

silly old coot,   at 77 he should have stayed at the bar. 

I guess young people never get lost or need to be rescued?

[steven100]

33 minutes ago, pomchop said:

i am close to that and did a 252 mile hike in the mountains not long ago

great   !    just don't get lost 

[mikebell]

1 hour ago, pomchop said:

seems  lot of young whippersnappers on here think a 77 y.o. man is too old to go for a walk?  Really?

 

77 not all that old if you have taken reasonable care of yourself and walk most everyday.. i am close to that and did a 252 mile hike in the mountains not long ago.

80 in a couple of months & reckon I could beat 80% of table tennis players locally.

[jacko45k]

2 hours ago, pomchop said:

. i am close to that and did a 252 mile hike in the mountains not long ago.

You got lost too?

(Sorry......)

[Old Croc]

3 hours ago, tandor said:

...brings to mind the dive boat incident years ago on GBR.

I went out from Cairns on that very dive boat some time after they left the 2 Americans on the reef. The extensive checking, double checking and signing in regime that had then was annoying until you realized why. 

[pomchop]

49 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

You got lost too?

(Sorry......)

no did not get lost...no idea what u are going on about.

[pegman]

3 hours ago, pomchop said:

seems  lot of young whippersnappers on here think a 77 y.o. man is too old to go for a walk?  Really?

 

77 not all that old if you have taken reasonable care of yourself and walk most everyday.. i am close to that and did a 252 mile hike in the mountains not long ago.

True, I read recently that 77 is the new 60.

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

The man reportedly disappeared from his hiking group consisting of 20 people.

Walkabout?

[Donga]

9 hours ago, grain said:

I know the guy well, he's 77 but very fit, he does 10km runs, even longer, pretty well daily. Not many people would have been miles in front of him, most of the group would have been way behind him. What happened was he slipped on some loose rocks and had a spill and got some minor injuries. Still, the rest of the group should have noticed his absence and as I said above, they should have had a head count before departing the island. I'm sure this incident will bring about a couple of new regulations for the group. A similar group who hold regular walks/runs at Hua Hin stipulate that everybody carries their mobile phones and have the mobile numbers of a couple of others from the group, on their phones in case of mishaps like this.

Hash House Harriers deal with older folk on the trails all the time. Hua Hin Hash has a couple of people over 80 and in Sydney, Darwin Don was well into his 90s when he hashed each week.

Yep, mobile phones are useful, as is common sense. Sounds like this bloke knew what he was doing, i.e. stayed on the track and didn't get lost, but common sense of the others was shabby.

Youngsters out there, anyone under 60, should appreciate that the rewards of keeping fit as we age, far outweigh the dangers. Though personally, I'm not big on road cycling in most countries. 

[grain]

On 7/5/2022 at 4:21 PM, Donga said:

Hash House Harriers deal with older folk on the trails all the time. Hua Hin Hash has a couple of people over 80 and in Sydney, Darwin Don was well into his 90s when he hashed each week.

Yep, mobile phones are useful, as is common sense. Sounds like this bloke knew what he was doing, i.e. stayed on the track and didn't get lost, but common sense of the others was shabby.

Youngsters out there, anyone under 60, should appreciate that the rewards of keeping fit as we age, far outweigh the dangers. Though personally, I'm not big on road cycling in most countries. 

Years ago when I ran with Songkhla H3 they had a searchlight (I don't know what model or power is was) but they carried it in the beer truck, then if it was dark and some hashers still hadn't returned to the A site, they'd turn on the searchlight and shoot this big beam up into the sky, you could see the bloody thing miles away and instantly knew the correct way to get back.

[jacko45k]

On 7/5/2022 at 4:21 PM, Donga said:

Hash House Harriers deal with older folk on the trails all the time.

They appear not to have dealt with this case so well.