Tourist Fights For Life After Near-Drowning In Phuket

[webfact]

Tourist fights for life after near-drowning in Phuket

Phuket Gazette

Foreign tourists test the waters at Nai Harn Beach, not far from where a Caucasian tourist got into trouble yesterday afternoon. Photo: Phuket Gazette file.

PHUKET: -- A foreign tourist who was swimming in an area marked by red warning flags was pulled from the water off Nai Harn Beach yesterday afternoon and rushed unconscious to Vachira Phuket Hospital.

Jula Nontree, chief lifeguard for Kata, Karon, Nai Harn and Patong Beaches, told the Phuket Gazette that the incident occurred in front of the Phuket Yacht Club Hotel at about 3pm.

The victim, a Caucasian man aged about 50, entered the surf in the same area as two Asian men at the time.

All three were caught in a rip current and assisted to shore, still conscious, by lifeguards.

The two Asian men recovered while on the beach, but the Caucasian lost consciousness and had to be given first aid measures until an ambulance arrived to rush him to the hospital in Phuket Town.

Mr Jula said the two Asians were ethnic Chinese foreign tourists; he did not know the name or nationality of the Caucasian man.

“He probably panicked and tried to swim back to the shore [against the offshore current],” he said, adding that the man probably could have walked back to shore because the water in the area is not that deep.

“If you can stand there I believe you can handle the waves,” he added.

Mr Jula said the man still had a pulse, but remained unconscious when the ambulance arrived.

“I don’t know if he will survive or not; he was not doing well when we last saw him,” he said.

The area where the three men entered the surf is home to a fixed rip current and was clearly marked with red flags, he said.

Local officials in the south of the island are trying to establish a hospital there to help drowning victims, who often die en route to hospitals in Phuket Town to the north, it was recently announced.

To vote in the latest Phuket Gazette poll on how best to warn foreign tourists of the dangers of rip currents, click here.

If you have already voted and want to view the latest results, click here.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16206.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-06-20

[stevenl]

According to the source that can not be mentioned he was dead on arrival. And that was already yesterday. I find it more and more awkward to read news here that is either correct but old or has been proven obsolete already.

[amyb]

According to the source that can not be mentioned he was dead on arrival. And that was already yesterday. I find it more and more awkward to read news here that is either correct but old or has been proven obsolete already.

my sentiments exactly, stevenl.

[amyb]

the source that can't be named just updated their report stating 1) he drown and 2) no one knows who he is or how to identify him. the other source maintains he is barely alive in the hospital.

for f****'s sake, get it straight!

[Valentine]

I think 7 or 8 drownings since the middle of last month. I realise there are many factors involved besides dangerous surf conditions but those statistics are appalling.

[bubblegum]

hmm

Who's kid wrote this article?

[sportsman69]

hmm

Who's kid wrote this article?

It's no ones kid bro, It's written by one of the highly qualified adult staff, or so they say, who bring you the news of the day from " Phuket's leading newspaper." You know the ones that are a legend in their own minds. Unfortunately for reasons I don't fully understand we are blessed with this totally incompetent bunch of fools being our source of local news misinformation on this forum. I try to avoid anything they publish but unfortunately it is a main source here and presents itself uninvited. Mai pen rai.

Breaking news such as this is traditionally 2 or 3 days behind the event, today they broke the mould and created a new precedent. With this one they got on the case a bit quicker. Apparently this tragedy happened at 3 pm Tues yesterday and it is being reported by our source of no choice at only 8.55 am today, excellent, only big problem with the story is.......... That he's fighting for his life claiming he is still alive. though not given much hope of seeing tomorrow.

Pure fact from my reliable source of information says DoA, dead, stiff as a surfboard, however you wish to describe the fact, was he upon arrival at Vachira Phuket Hospital. No respect meant to the deceased who can't even die without the facts being accurately reported. Even to the point where his next of kin are maybe elated to hear he is still alive which in this case is a total falsehood.... Jeesssuss.......

Who writes this shit, ? in this case they've hung him out to dry. His name is Chutharat Plerin. I probably would expect him to be a Thai with a couple of degrees in journalism well on his way up the the ladder such as it is here. As is usual possibly a relative of the upper chain of command. They have foolishly given him a by line for him to add to his CV.

Part 2 of this rant is, and as it's Phuket Gazette copy, I believe I'm able to print it here in all it's glory.

Right't'o'ere'we go.

The monsoon season is here and once again hardly a week goes by without a tourist drowning in the surf off Phuket's west coast beaches. Which of the following approaches do you think would be most practical and effective to minimize the death toll?

a Assign more lifeguards to beaches

b Provide lifeguards with jet-skis, better safety equipment c Have inbound flight captains issue safety warnings about surf conditions d Give lifeguards police support to remove from the beach swimmers who refuse to obey lifeguard

warnings against swimming in red-flagged danger areas e Install more warning signs in more languages

f Encourage hotel staff to do more to warn of the dangers

" Which of the following approaches do you think would be most practical and effective to minimize the death toll? "

It's a no brainer aint it. A 6 year old kid, and it aint the one that wrote the story above, can see there is only one correct answer to this poll, forgetting corruption, and that is all.

There is no option for a multiple answer. Try it yourselves, post a multiple answer, an exercise in futility, like the 3 peas under thimbles game. Send them an email about your thoughts on this or any subject, no reply. They know it all they're professionals. In their stupid thoughts the most popular answer is the magic bullet, and is the answer to all this, and especially the current spate of drownings. Take notice of our poll folks, we're the expurts. Forget the rest.

Without being disrespectful to any of the victims there is an element of Darwinism in place here over which there is no control, even the young guy, Joshua Shane, obviously well educated, was apparently warned twice along with his travelling companions by their group leader in his own native tongue. People just don't appreciate the dangers until it's too late.

As I said elsewhere to make these beaches safe it needs a chain of razor wire along the waters edge. It's the lifeguards job to keep it in place and save anyone that happens to make it over the top so as to speak. Not good for tourism of course but ........No that won't really be 100% either. Some enterprising beach vendor will peddle wire cutters for 500 baht that he bought for 50 from China, opportunity knocks.

Apologies for the long winded rant but this sort of sh1t really gets up my nose. Stupid, incompetent, journalism. Kindergarten standard with no recourse for inaccuracy.

'night all, with good fortune I'll be allowed to post tomorra.

Edit; formatting, typos, removal of foul language, spelling, you name it, this one had it all. Oh sh1t more again, with a bit of luck I can go to bed soon. Formatting, grrr, I give up, Print it.

Edited June 20, 2012 by sportsman69

[sportsman69]

Just went to close the browser and .........under the byline.......this weeks world news, check the date folks. Just noticed the last news event in Phuket was a semi with with a load of Red Bull (shit) overturned on the bypass rd. last Monday @ 6.03 pm, well at least it was this week, close enough to current news I guess.

http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/articles/2012/article16205.html

World News. The unsinkable, unthinkable and unshrinkable

Phuket Gazette – Tuesday, May 8, 2012 11:33:33 Am

Is it just me or can I rest my case ?

Edited June 20, 2012 by sportsman69