Russian Honeymoon Tourist In Phuket Dies After Dangerous Surf Rescue

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Russian honeymoon tourist in Phuket dies after dangerous surf rescue

Lifeguards on lookout at Nai Thon Beach. A Russian tourist on honeymoon

has died after being pulled unconscious from the surf at Nai Thon and a

fellow lifeguard needed saving. Photo: Gazette

PHUKET: -- A young Russian tourist on honeymoon in Phuket died earlier today after she was pulled unconscious from dangerous surf at Nai Thon Beach late yesterday afternoon.

Irina Tsyz, 24, was swimming with her husband Alexander Ovsov, 25, when she started to flounder in the large waves, Tah Chat Chai police told the Phuket Gazette.

“It was windy and she succumbed to the large waves,” he said.

Lifeguard Natthakit Srijan, 20, nearly drowned trying to rescue her.

Fellow lifeguards on the beach saw them in trouble and rushed to the rescue.

The lifeguards reached Mr Natthakit first and pulled him ashore.

He was rushed to Thalang Hospital by Kusoldham Rescue Foundation rescue workers.

Other lifeguards raced to Mrs Tsyz, but she was already unconscious by the time they got her back to the beach.

Mrs Tsyz was rushed to Thalang Hospital by ambulance and later transferred to Phuket International Hospital in Phuket Town.

Mr Natthakit last night regained consciousness and is still recovering in hospital.

However, Mrs Tsyz never regained consciousness and died earlier today.

“We were notified of her death by an employee at Naithonburi Beach Resort [where the couple were staying] at 2pm,” the police said.

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-06-17

[Frankster]

Do these Thai Lifeguards even know CPR ??

[steveyinasia]

You call that surf, looks more like a ripple in the sea and inexperienced life guards. Send them to Bondi for training, if they can survive a summer there then they will be excellent lifeguards in Phuket.

[bluebluewater]

Do these Thai Lifeguards even know CPR ??

Probably not even the slightest

[sbk]

You are assuming that photo was taken on the day and isn't just a stock photo of the lifeguards.

And regardless of what you think, clearly it was rough enough that a woman died. Her husband must be absolutely devastated to lose his wife on their honeymoon so have a modicum of respect, cheers.

[LivinginKata]

You are assuming that photo was taken on the day and isn't just a stock photo of the lifeguards.

Quite correct. The waves all along the west coast of Phuket have been quite ferocious this last week. You have to wonder why the average tourist would even consider entering the sea in these conditions. I see folks trying to swim on Kata beach and I shake my head in disbelief.

[Disinto]

Pardon my ignorance, but don't they have a flag system in Phuket? (i.e. orange/red flag for dangerous sea conditions)

Edited June 17, 2011 by Disinto

[Briggsy]

Tourists die every year in the dangerous tides, currents and waves off Phuket. It will happen again next year, I guarantee it. Very sad but inevitable.

[Phuket Stan]

You call that surf, looks more like a ripple in the sea and inexperienced life guards. Send them to Bondi for training, if they can survive a summer there then they will be excellent lifeguards in Phuket.

Did you take into account the tidal rips that are VERY prevalant on most west coast beaches this time of the year....does Bondi have as many tourists that have never seen the sea or realise its powers coming to its beach...there is still very much an attitude from many people that they KNOW more than what the Thai guys on beach say or do..Most do not even respect the red flags..I see it all the time when I am walking on the beaches...Have you never walked along Phuket beaches in the wet season and not been aware of this

[backstairs]

I went to Nai Thon 2 weeks ago ready to belly board. But a RED flag was clearly on display. Then I looked at the sand. The waves had made it into two levels. I had to jump down from one level to the other. This told me that something pretty strong was in the wave and tide. So: red flag + sand = no go.

[Atmos]

Do these Thai Lifeguards even know CPR ??

before you leap in . . . have a look at the Phuket Lifeguard Club website, you will find they have a lot of involvement/support from professional lifeguard organisations in Australia, surf clubs Cudgen Headland SLSC, Northern Territory Surf Lifesaving Club and Surf Lifesaving Australia who provide professional lifeguard training on a regular basis.

Phuket Provinical Administrative Organisation Lifeguard Training Program.

Phuket Lifeguard Club will be working together with the Phuket Provinical Administrative Organisation (PPAO) to organise a training week from 4-8 September for 60 Thai lifeguards and potential lifeguards from Phuket area.

This training will be conducted by 5 members of Surf Lifesaving Australia, led by David Field, and will be based at Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort, who provide a venue for this training and are hosting the Aussie contingent. The Royal Thai Navy will be working alongside the Australians as trainers.

This is a joint project of the PPAO, Phuket Lifeguard Club and SurfLifesaving Australia.

[Atmos]

from 2 years ago - just as an indication of how the beach can be deceptive - this is at Karon further south on Phuket, and illustrates tidal erosion in June 2009 - at high tide you could step off into deep water very quickly - from the pic the actual high tide waterline is visible.

I was living at Karon a that time. One day we saw a lifeguard assaulted by a tourist who insisted on going in the water.

Edited June 17, 2011 by genghis61

[LivinginKata]

Pardon my ignorance, but don't they have a flag system in Phuket? (i.e. orange/red flag for dangerous sea conditions)

Yes they do. But people just ignore the reg flags, ignore beach vendors & locals telling then not to go in the water. I see it all the time.

[Disinto]

Pardon my ignorance, but don't they have a flag system in Phuket? (i.e. orange/red flag for dangerous sea conditions)

Yes they do. But people just ignore the reg flags, ignore beach vendors & locals telling then not to go in the water. I see it all the time.

Well in that case, let's call it natural selection (sorry, I'm bitter).

I once went into the ocean in the French atlantic coast, with orange flag raised. Never again. I can't think of stepping in the water with a red flag raised.

[grumpyoldman]

You call that surf, looks more like a ripple in the sea and inexperienced life guards. Send them to Bondi for training, if they can survive a summer there then they will be excellent lifeguards in Phuket.

steveyinasia, take it from a guy that swam team for over ten years,has been trained as a lifeguard and been surfing on many different continents for over 30 years, the water at Nai Thon can be deadly. Two low seasons ago I was up there, the undertow was so gnarly that after a wave broke you could see the water boiling and churning sand 2-3 meters behind where the wave broke. My cousin wanted to go in and I said no, I would only have jumped in on a surfboard.

Biggest mistake the lifeguards made here was letting them go in the water, should have shut that down right away.

[normac44]

Do these Thai Lifeguards even know CPR ??

That's a bit harsh without knowing the level of their qualifications. As an experienced Paramedic myself with 28 years experience I

have always been impressed by the local Ambulance guys and lifeguards both at Phuket and other parts of Thailand.

[grumpyoldman]

You are assuming that photo was taken on the day and isn't just a stock photo of the lifeguards.

Absolutely right SBK, I'm pretty certain the photo is Nai Harn beach and not Nai Thon where the poor gal drowned. RIP and condolences to the family who surely are devastated.

[sydneyjed]

Don't know how many drownings they have a year there(especially low season)but when we were there last at Kata 2 years back five drownings occured in a week!!Did not believe anything we'd heard in our hotel till my better half called me down to the beach late afternoon and told me a guy was in trouble out there with everyone just standing there watching..including a motor bike cop!I tear arsed down with my wife screaming at me not to go in and by the time I reached the sand bank this guy had somehow fought his way in!He was a German guy and really was on his last breath when we got out...Really shook me up more afterwards thinking what nearly happened.A young English guy drowned the next night there when he went in after his thai girl friend...the place is a death trap to be honest!!

You call that surf, looks more like a ripple in the sea and inexperienced life guards. Send them to Bondi for training, if they can survive a summer there then they will be excellent lifeguards in Phuket.

steveyinasia, take it from a guy that swam team for over ten years,has been trained as a lifeguard and been surfing on many different continents for over 30 years, the water at Nai Thon can be deadly. Two low seasons ago I was up there, the undertow was so gnarly that after a wave broke you could see the water boiling and churning sand 2-3 meters behind where the wave broke. My cousin wanted to go in and I said no, I would only have jumped in on a surfboard.

Biggest mistake the lifeguards made here was letting them go in the water, should have shut that down right away.

[moe666]

You call that surf, looks more like a ripple in the sea and inexperienced life guards. Send them to Bondi for training, if they can survive a summer there then they will be excellent lifeguards in Phuket.

Typical, they do recieve training in Australia.

[moe666]

Get a lot of know-it-all who know nothing. All the life guards can do is tell people not to go into the water as usual the Europeans, Indians, and a few others ignore them and drown. Then we get people posting and complaining who know nothing of their training. An apology to the professional Life guards may be approiate now, but the know it alls haven't been back.

[sydneyjed]

Correct Moe and as the life guards are in such small numbers down there anyway they have an enormous amount of beach to cover...a thankless and impossible task under the circumstances especially reading recently that funding had dried up!Where I witnessed a near tragedy not more than 10 minutes later a mother and her baby were paddling there nearer to the shore....What more can you say?

[Atmos]

a little more on the Australian connection (refer to my earlier post #11).

It's easy to knock, but there are people making real efforts with the lifeguards club; and this has also included water safety training for the island's children held at swimming pools and beaches.

On Phuket, the four lifeguard supervisors hold the equivalent of the Australian Professional Ocean Lifeguard Gold Medallion and have trained and requalified each year since 2001 under (Australian Lifeguard Trainer) Mr Field's instruction.

In July 2010 Surf-life and Life-saving training sessions were held, including a five-day Basic to Intermediate Course and Advanced programmes and re-certification for bronze and gold medallion standard courses.

In September 60 volunteers completed a five-day course in lifeguard training. Leading the training were members of the Phuket Lifeguard Club, Surf Life Saving Australia, Phuket Marine Police and the Royal Thai Navy tourism security unit. The volunteers hailed from all over the island and included hotel staff and members of the public.

They were taught a wide range of skills, including first aid and emergency care techniques, basic rescue skills and how to carry out rescues with and without rescue equipment.

Some lifeguard stats from 2010

from April 26 to August 25 2010, 523 people were rescued or assisted. Over the four-month period, foreign tourists were twice as likely to put themselves in harm's way than Thais, with 356 foreigners receiving assistance, compared with 167 Thais.

Edited June 18, 2011 by genghis61

[stevenl]

Very sad, all the comments of people on here without knowing anything about the local circumstances.

[Atmos]

^ yes, and easy to overlook that the lifeguard almost gave his own life in the rescue

"Lifeguard Natthakit Srijan, 20, nearly drowned trying to rescue her.

Mr Natthakit last night regained consciousness and is still recovering in hospital."

[grumpyoldman]

Very sad, all the comments of people on here without knowing anything about the local circumstances.

True, true stevenl.

Actually, in the 20 years I have been travelling to Phuket and 7 years of living here the lifeguarding situation is better than it has ever been. Hoping for a rapid recovery for the lifeguard in the hospital, thanks for giving it a go mate.

[WithMarco]

i've seen plenty of farangs swimming in Patong and Karon despite the red flags, wind, rain, and high waves.

there's nothing to do, all these tourists just underestimate the dangers, they're in holiday they "must" have fun, no matter the risk, and it seems

if somebody dies the next day it's back to business as usual.

last time i was in phuket 3 people drowned in Karon beach and nobody seems to give a shit.

nothing will ever change.

[grumpyoldman]

last time i was in phuket 3 people drowned in Karon beach and nobody seems to give a shit.

WithMarco, you want to go to the hospital where the lifeguard who risked his life is and say that to him?

Right...........didn't think so.

[katabeachbum]

I have seen hundreds of Russians ignoring or even getting angry at the lifeguards when recommended to not swim.

I have seen hundreds of very drunk Russians in the water pretending to drown.

My dad has been speaking fluent Russian for 50 years. He and my mum spendt 2 years working in Moscow 10 years ago. I visited frequently.

This is how some of them are. Simply Russian.

They will continue to ignore any advice on how to behave.

The lifeguards are not in a position to deny anyone to swim, only advice.

[morrobay]

If anyone has any photos of these so called big and dangerous waves in Phuket I sure would like to see them. The Bangkok Post weather report reports 4 meter waves - I dont think so.

I just did a youtube search for : Nai Thon beach big waves and it showed 1-2 ft waves and the red flags were up . This area is full of Scandanavians and increasingly Russians who by definition have very little ocean experience.

People even drown in lakes, If the ocean is choppy and some of these inexperienced people cannot dive or even duck under a wave without taking a breath of water , they can get into trouble quickly.

As i posted on this forum over a year ago and recently on the "other forum" on this exact tragic event. The real danger in the Phuket area during monsoon season are not the waves. But the strong point to point longshore current.These series of bays and points have the swell direction and current comming in at one point, and sweeping along the beach in a side rip. When this mass of water reaches the other point it can only go outbound. A strong swimmer preferably with fins can power swim or body surf in . Any one else is advised to tread water and let the current just take out a ways where you can be picked up.

By the way do the lifeguards in Phuket have fins on the job ?

I have been body surfing from Boomers to Brooks st,. for many years and I completed the one week San Diego City Ocean Lifeguard

training course. .

Edited June 20, 2011 by morrobay

[grumpyoldman]

If anyone has any photos of these so called big and dangerous waves in Phuket I sure would like to see them. The Bangkok Post weather report reports 4 meter waves - I dont think so.

I just did a youtube search for : Nai Thon beach big waves and it showed 1-2 ft waves and the red flags were up . This area is full of Scandanavians and increasingly Russians who by definition have very little ocean experience.

People even drown in lakes, If the ocean is choppy and some of these inexperienced people cannot dive or even duck under a wave without taking a breath of water , they can get into trouble quickly.

As i posted on this forum over a year ago and recently on the "other forum" on this exact event. The real danger in the Phuket area during monsoon season are not the waves. But the strong point to point longshore current.These series of bays and points have the swell direction and current comming in at one point, and sweeping along the beach in a side rip. When this mass of water reaches the other point it can only go outbound. A strong swimmer preferably with fins can power swim or body surf in . Any one else is advised to tread water and let the current just take out a ways where you can be picked up.

By the way do the lifeguards in Phuket have fins on the job ?

I have been body surfing from Boomers to Brooks st,. for many years and I completed the one week San Diego City Ocean Lifeguard

training course. .

MB this last weekend it was 6ft+ faces, with a couple sets I saw at Kata and Nai Harn maybe reaching 8. Yes, the lifeguards have fins, a surf rescue board too.

"The real danger in the Phuket area during monsoon season are not the waves. But the strong point to point longshore current."

Nice in theory but not correct, here anyway. Raised CA surfer also, I sometimes swim point to point in the big surf (beyond breakline) and never get taken out. No it's the waves pounding away that make people panic, I've seen people come close to drowning not but 3 yards from shore....