Irishman dies in kayaking incident in Thailand

[soi3eddie]

The lake at Khao Sok is extremely deep in places. No tides or currents and not that cold too. There are some large fish but unlikely to attack a human. I stayed there in 2002 and it was magical and quiet. I suspect the guy either couldn't swim, hit his head (although he apparently spoke to someone) or was intoxicated or had a heart attack. RIP at such a young age very tragic. 

 

[hotchilli]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

Mr O'Neill's uncle David O'Dowd told the BBC his nephew was only 4.5m (15ft) from a jetty when his boat capsized.

Not a strong swimmer then?

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Not a strong swimmer then?

Get a mouth full of water and breathe it in and he would be in trouble.... 

[gearbox]

15 hours ago, zyphodb said:

Crocodile maybe? But surely someone would have noticed.

  Can't think of much else animalwise that would kill you in Koh Sok lake.

Which leaves... another of those "unexplained" deaths which we're having so many of worldwide...

His body was found and is going to be repeated....crocs don't kill people just for fun, bodies are usually eaten..

 

AFAIK there are no croc farms around the lake area, and most of the land around is national park.

[webfact]

Family in effort to repatriate young Irishman who died while kayaking in Surat Thani last weekend

by James Morris and Son Nguyen

 

22-year-old, Odhrán Joseph O’Neill from County Armagh in Ireland. His remains were recovered 15 metres below his kayak on Sunday morning. 

Irish Department of Foreign Affairs through the Irish Embassy in Bangkok seeking an official report on the Irishman’s death and helping to make arrangements for the repatriation of his body. The young tourist had only arrived in Thailand the week before staying just outside the capital. 

 

The family of a young Irish man who died tragically in Surat Thani province last weekend are currently liaising with the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin as they attempt to repatriate his body. The remains of 22-year-old Odhrán O’Neill were sent to a local hospital for an autopsy after being found near a kayaking craft on Sunday after he went missing approximately 19 hours before. It had capsized while setting off with friends from a jetty at the dam within a national park area.

 

The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs is liaising with authorities in Thailand to facilitate the repatriation of the body of a 22-year-old Irish man which was found on Sunday morning at 11.23 am at the Rajjaprabha Dam in the Khao Sok National Park in the Ban Ta Khun district of the southern province of Surat Thani.

 

Full story: https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2022/12/20/family-working-to-repatriate-young-irishman/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Examiner 2022-12-20

 

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[ukrules]

10 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

I suspect the guy either couldn't swim, hit his head (although he apparently spoke to someone) or was intoxicated or had a heart attack.

Out of those I have a feeling that heart attack is the most likely.

[ronster]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The remains of 22-year-old Odhrán O’Neill were sent to a local hospital for an autopsy after being found near a kayaking craft on Sunday after he went missing approximately 19 hours before. It had capsized while setting off with friends from a jetty at the dam

I don’t understand how it took 19 hours ? 
If it capsized when he was setting off with friends then how did none of them notice he was in trouble ?

[Letseng]

On 12/19/2022 at 3:37 PM, ourmanflint said:

This is such a BS story. How on earth was someone from UK who was very probably taught how to swim age 10, drown 15ft from a jetty after previously saying he was ok? 

He wasn't from UK ????

Irish embassy deals with it. ????

[capin]

1 hour ago, Letseng said:

He wasn't from UK ????

Irish embassy deals with it. ????

Hmm, I thought Armagh was in the U.K.

[Pilot3Boz]

I will call out the obvious 800lb gorilla in the room.. Where was his life vest?? This would be a non event had he had one on… Such a sad thing to happen to a young person on vacation… I know we all think this couldn’t happen to me…. but it all too often does… Like I don’t need to wear a helmet to ride a short distance on a motorcycle or motorbike… RIP !!

[gearbox]

1 hour ago, Pilot3Boz said:

I will call out the obvious 800lb gorilla in the room.. Where was his life vest?? This would be a non event had he had one on… Such a sad thing to happen to a young person on vacation… I know we all think this couldn’t happen to me…. but it all too often does… Like I don’t need to wear a helmet to ride a short distance on a motorcycle or motorbike… RIP !!

Some of the PFDs can get off the body pretty easily without a crotch strap...so it depends what it he had.

Chance of having a proper sea life jacket at Khao Sok is pretty minimal.

 

If you have a medical emergency (like heart attack) the typical PFD is not going to help you much.

 

IMO people need to wait for the coroner report before commenting, the body was found and an autopsy will be done.

[hotchilli]

16 hours ago, ronster said:

I don’t understand how it took 19 hours ? 
If it capsized when he was setting off with friends then how did none of them notice he was in trouble ?

Exactly what I was thinking... something odd here?

[crazykopite]

15 hours ago, capin said:

Hmm, I thought Armagh was in the U.K.

You are correct Armagh in a county in Northern Ireland which is part of the U.K. like me he might have two passports one English and one Irish if he travelled to Thailand on his Irish passport that would be the explanation for the Republic of Ireland to deal with it . Very sad it appears he did not have insurance cover during his visit as the insurers should cover for the repatriation of his remains

????????????????????

[Letseng]

8 hours ago, crazykopite said:

You are correct Armagh in a county in Northern Ireland which is part of the U.K. like me he might have two passports one English and one Irish if he travelled to Thailand on his Irish passport that would be the explanation for the Republic of Ireland to deal with it . Very sad it appears he did not have insurance cover during his visit as the insurers should cover for the repatriation of his remains

????????????????????

May be he did. But arrangements have to be made by embassy, family. Insurance just pays the bill.