Russian man run over by Phuket parasailing boat

Phuket Gazette

Phuket rescue workers tend to Russian tourist Nikolai Nefedov after he was run over by a parasailing speedboat at Kata Beach. Photo: Royal Thai Navy

PHUKET: A 51-year-old Russian man on holiday in Phuket was rushed to hospital today after suffering severe injuries when he was run over by a parasailing speedboat at Kata Beach.

The man, Nikolai Nefedov, suffered a broken left leg and cuts on the back of both thighs.

Some of the cuts were were down to his bones, said Chaiwat Sittidet, an officer at the Royal Thai Navy Sea Rescue SAR Unit stationed at Kata Beach.

“Witnesses told us that the man was swimming in water only about three meters deep when a parasailing speedboat hit him,” said Mr Chaiwat.

Mr Nefedov was quickly rushed to shore at the northern end of the beach by speedboat.

“We are not sure whether it was the same speedboat that hit him,” Mr Chaiwat added.

The incident occurred at about 12:40pm, said fellow Royal Thai Navy Sea Rescue officer Supachai Janphet.

“We used the Karon Municipality emergency vehicle to rush him to Phuket International Hospital,” Mr Supachai said.

Mr Nefedov was conscious throughout the ordeal, he added.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/articles/2011/article11595.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-12-02

Sadly I don't find this very surprising. Now that it's high season there are so many people in the water and there are no designated swimming areas. So the speed boats and jet skis just cruise about where lots of people are swimming. Madness.

Wouldn't be nice if the beaches were cleared of all the vendors? Including parasailing, jet skis, beach chairs, massage, etc, etc. I have lived at the beach all my life and I've never seen the kind of BS that's allowed here for the profit of a few to the detriment of most...

Sadly I don't find this very surprising. Now that it's high season there are so many people in the water and there are no designated swimming areas. So the speed boats and jet skis just cruise about where lots of people are swimming. Madness.

Couldn't agree more with you LIK, was only a matter of time.

Not the first time, nor will it be the last, sadly, as the baht is king.

Sadly I don't find this very surprising. Now that it's high season there are so many people in the water and there are no designated swimming areas. So the speed boats and jet skis just cruise about where lots of people are swimming. Madness.

Yes, agree with you and they should separate the two.

At the Northern end of the beach though is a buoyline, separating the reef there from the rest of the beach, indicating an area safe to swim/snorkel/dive. I have not seen any speedboatds/longtails in that area, only an occasional jetski when the renter has not had this pointed out. But even that does not happen too often.

Have a friend whose young son just about had his head taken off by the rope sweeping by as he stood waterline, the parasailor with Thai guy onboard was landing on the beach.

Our friend had a few choice words with these guys and lo and behold all of a sudden he was surrounded by four. Not a good situation.

These guys are on par with tuk-tuk/jetski operators for sure. Won't be any actions taken to prevent this type of thing happening anytime soon................

“Witnesses told us that the man was swimming in water only about three meters deep when a parasailing speedboat hit him"

That fairly deep for swimmers and if its like most beaches the gradient would be fairy low so he may have been a long way out.

Just his head would have been visible /invisible.

Not trying to defend the boats I hate them but many times I have seen swimmers go a long way out when jet skis and boats are very close and the only thing visible is a head that can be hard to see In the water.

What is wrong I s that people have been killed before in Thailand from being hit by boats/ jet ski 's .

Safety regulations are not adequate in this country and Thai authorities don't seem to do anything about it.