Phuket Drowning: Nai Harn Rescues Alert

[alanmorison]

A RESCUE team is on standby at Nai Harn beach this afternoon following the death of a tourist at Karon and a spate of New Year near-drownings at Nai Harn.

So serious is a lack of official lifeguards now being treated that the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation sent a team of five to Nai Harn beach this afternoon in case more rescues are required.

There have been no official paid lifeguards on Phuket's beaches since October because of a dispute over contracts.

Details at phuketwan.com: http://phuketwan.com/tourism/phuket-drowni...-rescues-alert/

[LivinginKata]

There have been no official paid lifeguards on Phuket's beaches since October because of a dispute over contracts.

From my limited observations the 'official lifeguards' seemed untrained and unwilling to enter the water. The few rescues I've witnessed had been undertaken by tourists or farang locals, with the lifeguards taking the credit once the person/body out of the water.

[alanmorison]

I guess that having a lifeguard who may or may not have a role to play is better than nothing at all. Surely they wouldn't take the money, and do nothing? Are you suggesting they fall asleep in those towers?

[LivinginKata]

I guess that having a lifeguard who may or may not have a role to play is better than nothing at all. Surely they wouldn't take the money, and do nothing? Are you suggesting they fall asleep in those towers?

Methinks you answered your own question ...

[huggybear]

I guess that having a lifeguard who may or may not have a role to play is better than nothing at all. Surely they wouldn't take the money, and do nothing? Are you suggesting they fall asleep in those towers?

No, we are saying they just don't know how to F**ing swim so as "lifeguards" they are a joke.

"Surely they wouldn't take the money, and do nothing?"

Alan, let me impart a little story to you (as I pull three people a year out of the water) about the "lifeguards" at Nai Hairn.

A friend and someone many knew, John from Atsumi healing last year went for his typical swim workout in not big surf but there was some wave action. John had a heart attack in the water, but was conscious and waving for help. The "lifeguards" could not/would not swim out to get him, but they did throw a big ball connected to a rope out to him. John grabbed on, but went unconscious, when he did his face went into the water as he was laying on the ball. Took the lifeguards 5 minutes to reel him in, at which point he drowned.

Take the money and do nothing? No, take the money and be worthless at their attempts to do something.

If anyone knows how these people get to be "lifeguards", please let me know as I would like them to do a couple laps with me at Nai Hairn, daily, as a requirement to collect the pay. Also, a mandatory CPR course should be required, as proper CPR might have saved our friend John that day (as well as others in the future).

[alanmorison]

Huggy,

Appreciate and share your concerns. Horrifying, really . . . visitors and residents are entitled to expect international standards of safety on local beaches.

I suspect the lifeguard service has been suspended for being ineffective, although there are probably good people involved.

Trouble is, the sincere efforts to introduce a realistic culture where beaches are protected by lifeguards who are trained from teenagers, understand their responsibility and have the appropriate skills may take years.

Assuming the toll in 2008 is roughly the same as in 2007, it may take another five years (and about 100 more unnecessary deaths) before Phuket has the surf lifeguard system it needs.

That's the fast track. The slow track doesn't bear thinking about . . .

[LivinLOS]

I also remember the story from last year where someone was pulled from the surf, unconscious, and the farang started CPR and the lifeguards came over and said "dont bother.. Hes dead" and told him to stop CPR !! So they are now doctors, competent to determine death !! CPR should be administered until EMT's get there.

The person was resuscitated and lived IIRC !!

However I tend to feel I live in a 3rd world banana republic with a thin veneer of development, hence I hope to never need anyones help and tend not to expect it.. Police, ambulance, lifeguards, etc.. Just one of the many trade offs I have to accept if I wish to keep living here. This aint the west, even if real estate prices and many items are priced that way.

[alanmorison]

I'm happy to make concessions to live here, too. There are some aspects of Western living that I am happy to leave behind.

But I doubt that too many tourists, from the West or elsewhere, share that attitude. There are safety standards that people have come to expect when they go on holiday to popular destinations.

Phuket is no longer considered to be an exotic journey, for risk-takers only. For the tourism industry to prosper, safety standards have to improve.

[PeaceBlondie]

When I lived at one of the poorest villages in Central America, the Red Cross conducted water safety training to lifeguards before the big holiday season. So is the average Westerner who visits the five star hotels in Phuket worthless and undeserving of trained lifeguards?