Korean tourist rescued from Phuket drainage ditch

Phuket rescue workers took about 30 minutes to free the Korean man's leg.

PHUKET: -- Phuket rescue workers and local residents came to the aid of a Korean tourist whose leg became wedged between two cement drainage ditch covers on Tuesday night.

Phuket Kusoldham Foundation rescue workers were alerted to the man's plight at about 8:30pm on Tuesday.

Racing to the scene, near the Bank of Ayudhya branch on Chao Fa East Road in Wichit, they found a middle-aged Korean man crying in pain with his left leg firmly stuck almost to the knee.

With the help of local residents, the Kusoldharm team took about half an hour to finally extricate the Korean's limb, which suffered only minor injury.

The Korean, who declined to give his name, said he had just alighted from a passenger van in the area with the intention of walking home when his foot plunged through the crack and he was unable to remove it on his own.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/detail.asp?id=10971

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-09-15

I know it's great to not live in such a litigious country and all, but it's really ridiculous that the gap between these removable concrete blocks are by design large enough for a person to step into. About a year ago Ms. Scuba did the exact same thing as she stepped off a motorbike. She was not lucky to be wearing jeans like the Korean man and it peeled the skin off both sides of her calf, knee and thigh. One of the many dangers of living in a developing or third world country.

Yes, I know many people have had this sort of 'accident'. Can you image the litigation if these sort of conditions existed in the USA.

Yes, I know many people have had this sort of 'accident'. Can you image the litigation if these sort of conditions existed in the USA.

Hence, as a general rule these sort of conditions rarely exist. I am not for someone getting rich through frivolous lawsuits however when someone neglects to provide reasonably safe projects/ works, someone should be held accountable in some manner.