Taiwanese Airline Captain Drowns At National Park North Of Phuket

[webfact]

Taiwanese airline captain drowns at national park north of Phuket

Phuket Gazette

Tourists board longtail boats at Khao Sok National Park, north of Phuket, where the fatal accident happened yesterday afternoon.

PHUKET: A Taiwanese airline captain has drowned and his Thai boatman remains unconscious after an accident in Khao Sok National Park, Surat Thani, several hours drive north of Phuket.

Col Jarun Uchuphap, Superintendent of Baan Takhun Police Station, told the Phuket Gazette today that the accident occurred yesterday afternoon on the Chiao Lan Reservoir, a popular tourist nature reserve also known by some as the Ratchaprapa Dam.

“The body of Cheng Hway Shyu, 46, is being kept at Surat Thani Hospital, while the boat driver, Atipong Wichiankaew, 24, remains in hospital. He has yet to regain consciousness,” Col Jarun said.

“Mr Shyu came with about six Taiwanese friends and stayed at a floating resort in the park. Yesterday, they went out on the lake on a big boat, then divided into groups to tour the reservoir on four small longtail boats. The small boats cannot carry more than three people,” he explained.

“Mr Shyu went alone in Mr Atipong’s boat to go fishing,” Col Jarun added.

Mr Shyu’s friends and the other longtail boatmen launched a search for the missing pair after they failed to arrive for a lunch rendezvous.

They found Mr Atipong floating in the water near his boat, but found no trace of Mr Shyu.

“They rushed Mr Atipong to Takhun Hospital. From there, he was transferred to Surat Thani Hospital,” Col Jarun said,

A huge search party scouring the lake initially failed to find Mr Shyu’s body, a rescue worker from the Kusol Sattha Foundation in Surat Thani told the Gazette.

Rescue workers returned with dive gear and started to search for Mr Shyu’s body in the lake, which has a max depth of about 50 meters, he said.

Col Jarun said the boat showed no sign of damage.

“There was a tree sticking out of the water near where the accident happened, but we cannot tell whether or not the boat hit it. I examined the boat this morning, and there were no signs of damage,” he said.

“We are waiting to Mr Atipong to regain consciousness so he can tell us exactly what happened,” he added.

“At this stage, I believe the boat might have passed too close to the tree and both men may have been struck as they passed by.

“The boat is very small, less than a meter wide. It is probable that the tree struck them in the head and they both fell into the water,” Col Jarun speculated.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle14956.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-05-11

[Galong]

Well, is there a big wound on the driver's head? If he struck a tree hard enough to be knocked out, there should at least be a formidable bump.

[dinom]

Well, is there a big wound on the driver's head? If he struck a tree hard enough to be knocked out, there should at least be a formidable bump.

And no need to ask if anybody was wearing a life jacket?

[Galong]

Well, is there a big wound on the driver's head? If he struck a tree hard enough to be knocked out, there should at least be a formidable bump.

And no need to ask if anybody was wearing a life jacket?

Kinda goes without saying.

The level of safety sense among the local guides in this particular park is shockingly low. I was in a longtail that hit a tree once. It sent me flying into the floor and it hurt! The skipper, of course, just laughed.

I go there all the time and oh the things I've witnessed.

[pacovl46]

Well, is there a big wound on the driver's head? If he struck a tree hard enough to be knocked out, there should at least be a formidable bump.

And no need to ask if anybody was wearing a life jacket?

How exactly does a life jacket safe you from drowning when you are unconscious?

[MikeOxtinks]

Well, is there a big wound on the driver's head? If he struck a tree hard enough to be knocked out, there should at least be a formidable bump.

And no need to ask if anybody was wearing a life jacket?

How exactly does a life jacket safe you from drowning when you are unconscious?

No where in the article does it mention that anyone was unconcious at the time of the accident. They don't even know how it happened. It is perfectly feasible that the guy was unconcious after being in the water.

A life jacket versus no life jacket is really a stupid question, and a simpleton would understand that one!

[LTGTR]

Right-neither of them say a tree in the middle of the lake and they were traveling 50 mph I'm sure,which would have been fast enough to kill them.How absurd is that supposition.No life vest either.Very sad indeed.

Way off topic.

C'mon Brits-learn to speak.He remains "in" the hospital.

I don't go to restaurant to dine.I go "to " the restaurant to dine.Use the word "to" please.

Edited May 12, 2012 by LTGTR

[LTGTR]

That is the most clueless post I ave ever ready on this forum.

Apparently you don't understand the concept /use of a life preserver.

IT KEEPS YOU AFLOAT! (whether you are conscious or not).

WOW!

Well, is there a big wound on the driver's head? If he struck a tree hard enough to be knocked out, there should at least be a formidable bump.

And no need to ask if anybody was wearing a life jacket?

How exactly does a life jacket safe you from drowning when you are unconscious?

[anterian]

Can you not see the irony of this, an airline pilot, "please fasten your seat belt" "watch the safety demonstration", "life jackets under the seat". Gets into a boat and ignores all the safety rules.

[fxe1200]

Well, is there a big wound on the driver's head? If he struck a tree hard enough to be knocked out, there should at least be a formidable bump.

And no need to ask if anybody was wearing a life jacket?

How can you make it to look like an accident or suicide when the victim wears a life jacket?

[moonbarman]

Well, is there a big wound on the driver's head? If he struck a tree hard enough to be knocked out, there should at least be a formidable bump.

And no need to ask if anybody was wearing a life jacket?

How can you make it to look like an accident or suicide when the victim wears a life jacket?

How do any of you know if he was wearing a life jacket were you all there, and also the taiwanese, chinese, japanese tourist groups are usually all wearing life jackets when you see them on group trips even for paddling, so don't jump to conclusions.

[fxe1200]

Well, is there a big wound on the driver's head? If he struck a tree hard enough to be knocked out, there should at least be a formidable bump.

And no need to ask if anybody was wearing a life jacket?

How can you make it to look like an accident or suicide when the victim wears a life jacket?

How do any of you know if he was wearing a life jacket were you all there, and also the taiwanese, chinese, japanese tourist groups are usually all wearing life jackets when you see them on group trips even for paddling, so don't jump to conclusions.

Read before you write. I did not say, that he was wearing a life jacket. Or do you mean somebody else?? Be specific.

[Guest]

Well, is there a big wound on the driver's head? If he struck a tree hard enough to be knocked out, there should at least be a formidable bump.

And no need to ask if anybody was wearing a life jacket?

How exactly does a life jacket safe you from drowning when you are unconscious?

Good life jacket will do 2 things. For one keep the person floating and the second thing is that it will turn a unconscious person face up.

The ones seen here do probably only the first one.

[TeddyFlyfisherDavis]

Can you not see the irony of this, an airline pilot, "please fasten your seat belt" "watch the safety demonstration", "life jackets under the seat". Gets into a boat and ignores all the safety rules.

Thia is Thailand bud...When you are here, all bets are off...I thought safety was illegal here...

[Guest]

Can you not see the irony of this, an airline pilot, "please fasten your seat belt" "watch the safety demonstration", "life jackets under the seat". Gets into a boat and ignores all the safety rules.

Thia is Thailand bud...When you are here, all bets are off...I thought safety was illegal here...

This is Thailand. The lack of safety standards is one of Thailand's attractions. While living here we still have the freedom of doing things, which are nannyed in western welfare societies. Here we still have personal responsibility of our own choices and actions.

[anterian]

You are both missing my point, do you not see the irony in a guy who enforces safety in the air, dying because he ignores safety on the water.

Nothing to do with Thailand's unique freedom to ignore laws.

[Guest]

You are both missing my point, do you not see the irony in a guy who enforces safety in the air, dying because he ignores safety on the water.

Nothing to do with Thailand's unique freedom to ignore laws.

Not really a point, sorry. Flight captains are not likely to live their lives according to the safety rules which others has dictated. At least I hope so as I wish to trust my life to a person who thinks with his or hers own brain.

The all too boring safety instructions come from the heads of some international standard committee, which is head by bunch of lawyers. Presented by the cabin crew as it would be too boring for the pilots to present.

[Sailfish1]

You are both missing my point, do you not see the irony in a guy who enforces safety in the air, dying because he ignores safety on the water.

Nothing to do with Thailand's unique freedom to ignore laws.

Not really a point, sorry. Flight captains are not likely to live their lives according to the safety rules which others has dictated. At least I hope so as I wish to trust my life to a person who thinks with his or hers own brain.

The all too boring safety instructions come from the heads of some international standard committee, which is head by bunch of lawyers. Presented by the cabin crew as it would be too boring for the pilots to present.

If your plane encounters severe turbulence or goes down in the ocean, you will be sorry that you ignored the safety instructions.

[LivinginKata]

A number of inflammatory/off topic posts have been removed.