Search Continues For Killer Phi Phi Speedboat

[Lite Beer]

Search continues for killer Phi Phi speedboat

Phuket Gazette –

Speedboats bring hundreds of tourists to Phi Phi Island every day. Photo: Gazette file

The area is very popular with tourists snorkeling just offshore. Photo: Gazette file

PHUKET: Krabi Police are still working to identify vessels that were at Tonsai Beach on Phi Phi Island when a French tourist was killed while snorkeling in the area on August 18.

Police suspect a fast-moving speedboat struck and killed French national Olivier Raymond Philippe Jannequin. The police report into Mr Jannequin’s death included a statement from Phi Phi Island Hospital stating that Mr Jannequin died from a severe head injury that almost cleaved his head in two. Minor injuries also recorded included lacerations to his right arm and knee.

From this, Krabi Police presume that Mr Jannequin was run over by a boat, the propeller blades inflicting the fatal injury.

Lt Col Bundit Khaosutham of the Krabi Tourist Police told the Phuket Gazette that he had informed the French Embassy of the incident.

Following the death of Mr Jannequin, who was a government officer at the French Ministry of Agriculture, his snorkeling partner Pierre Yves Martin submitted a written statement, in French, to Krabi Tourist Police.

Mr Martin, 37, who had been a close friend of Mr Jannequin for eight years, wrote in his statement that on August 18, at about 11.30am, he and Mr Jannequin went snorkeling off Tonsai Beach near the Mama Beach Hotel.

After snorkeling in the swimming zone, cordoned off by a line of floating pontoons, the pair decided to leave the safety zone to snorkel around some coral located outside. Mr Martin told police that there were three or four dive boats in the area at the time.

They had been snorkeling around the coral reef for about 30 minutes and were returning to shore at the time of the tragedy. Mr Martin was leading, with Mr Jannequin following some three meters behind.

In his statement Mr Martin wrote, “While I was on the surface breathing, preparing to dive again, I heard a scream from behind me. I turned but was immediately struck and disorientated by waves.”

Mr Martin said the waves were consistent to those created by a fast-moving speedboat.

After regaining his bearings, he saw his friend floating in the water and swam towards him. On reaching him, he saw the seriousness of the injury to his friend’s head and realized that he was dead.

“I found him with cuts on his body and a severely deep wound to his head… his blood was everywhere around us.

“I supported him with one arm and shouted towards a dive boat some 300 meters from us at the bay’s north end. No one heard us, so supporting Oliver I started to swim ashore."

“I do not think anyone else saw the accident because there was no one else swimming in the area. It happened a long way away from the dive boats."

“About 10 minutes after the accident, a black "long-tail" boat passed us and I asked for help. The boatman told us to wait and said he would get a dive boat to come and help us. After 10 minutes, I gave up waiting and decided to carry on swimming to get Olivier ashore."

“I saw a small hut on the rocky coastline but there was no one around, so I continued swimming, supporting him all the way, back to Mama Beach. It was there that people helped me take Olivier to the Phi Phi Island Hospital.”

Mr Martin thought the scream he had heard might not have been from Mr Jannequin, as his friend had a snorkel tube in his mouth. He thought it more likely to have come from someone aboard the boat that he believes struck Mr Jannequin.

Although Mr Martin said he did not see a boat strike Mr Jannequin, he feels confident that it was a speedboat because it happened so fast. He discounted the possibility that it could have been a longtail boat, as these make a loud noise and can be heard from far off, even underwater, he said.

“I presumed Olivier’s wounds were from a sharp object, such as the propeller of a passing boat. I did not see what kind of boat it was because I was searching for Olivier. Although there were none in the area, I thought it was probably a speedboat moving at high speed. Also I’m sure that the boat would have been heading to the beach.”

Lt Wissawa Sanaeha of the Phi Phi Island Police said that Mr Martin and Mr Jannequin arrived on Koh Phi Phi on August 14 and were staying at the Sandview Hotel. They were scheduled to fly home on August 23.

Mr Martin told Krabi Police that their hotel receptionist told them that the area around the swimming zone, where they were snorkeling, was free from fast-moving speedboats. Most vessels there are long-tail boats and boats passing through the area would be travelling at low speeds, they were told.

“We went snorkeling nearly every day. In the time we spent on the beach we saw many speedboats taking tourists to the beach… My two brothers and I would like Olivier's death to serve as an example for the need to implement more safety measures,” Mr Martin said.

Police asked Mr Martin to appear before the Krabi Prosecutor’s Office as a witness, but he was forced to decline as he was scheduled to leave Phuket on August 23.

Col Bundit Khaosutham of the Krabi Tourist Police told Gazette yesterday, “We still don’t know which speedboat hit the Mr Jannequin, whose body was repatriated two days after the accident.

“His relatives sent a message to us through the French embassy asking us to try to find the speedboat driver. We keep trying to find the guilty party, but it’s not easy due to the lack of witnesses. We do realize the importance of this case,” he said.

However, Col Bundit explained that safety measures were already in place, including a swimming zone, snorkeling zone and boat parking area clearly sectioned off by floating markers to notify tourists.

He added that efforts to warn tourists to not stray from the designated zones were continual.

“In this case the two of them went off at midday, when many boats are running to and fro for lunch on the island.

“Actually, a pontoon showing that the area [where the accident occurred] was offshore from a designated boat parking zone was in place at the time,” he added.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2012/Search-continues-for-killer-Phi-Phi-speedboat-16790.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-08-30

[TomTao]

My condolences to the family of the unfortunate victim, I have to wonder if the deceased might not still be allive if the two gentlemen had stayed within the protected zone while snorkeling, in Mr Martin's statement he said that they had seen speedboats taking passengers to and from the beach, and they still decided to venture outside the area that was set aside for snorkeling and swimming, an unfortunate choice with an unfortunate consequence. May the deceased rest in peace.

[BabyJebus]

You do understand that the "protected" area have almost no corals? They're just quickly put there by lazy people to look like they care about safety.

So what you're saying is 'dont come to thailand'

Edited August 30, 2012 by BabyJebus

[Lite Beer]

French family sues for manslaughter after Thailand death

RENNES, France, Aug 30, 2012 (AFP) - A French family has filed a civil suit for manslaughter after a family member died after he was hit by a passing boat as he swam off a beach in Thailand, prosecutors said.

Olivier Jannequin, 41, died on August 18 minutes after the speedboat, of the kind frequently used as a taxi service in Thailand, hit him in the sea off the island of Koh Phi Phi.

The boat did not stop after the incident and none of the hundreds of holiday-makers on the beach helped a friend of Jannequin -- who had been swimming near him -- bring his body to shore, La Nouvelle Republique newspaper reported.

Prosecutors in the western French city of Rennes, where Jannequin lived, are examining the family's suit, which does not specify a defendant, officials said.

La Nouvelle Republique said Thai police had failed to find the driver of the boat.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-08-30

[annabel]

French family sues for manslaughter after Thailand death

RENNES, France, Aug 30, 2012 (AFP) - A French family has filed a civil suit for manslaughter after a family member died after he was hit by a passing boat as he swam off a beach in Thailand, prosecutors said.

Olivier Jannequin, 41, died on August 18 minutes after the speedboat, of the kind frequently used as a taxi service in Thailand, hit him in the sea off the island of Koh Phi Phi.

The boat did not stop after the incident and none of the hundreds of holiday-makers on the beach helped a friend of Jannequin -- who had been swimming near him -- bring his body to shore, La Nouvelle Republique newspaper reported.

Prosecutors in the western French city of Rennes, where Jannequin lived, are examining the family's suit, which does not specify a defendant, officials said.

La Nouvelle Republique said Thai police had failed to find the driver of the boat.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-08-30

And just like the mysterious deaths of the 2 Canadian Sisters has been swept under the rug months later , so will this ... Welcome to Thailand ... !

[TomTao]

You do understand that the "protected" area have almost no corals? They're just quickly put there by lazy people to look like they care about safety.

So what you're saying is 'dont come to thailand'

I am not saying don't come to Thailand at all, whether the people putting the safety markers in place are lazy or not, the cordoned off area is there as a safety measure.

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Thaivisa Connect App

[BabyJebus]

You do understand that the "protected" area have almost no corals? They're just quickly put there by lazy people to look like they care about safety.

So what you're saying is 'dont come to thailand'

I am not saying don't come to Thailand at all, whether the people putting the safety markers in place are lazy or not, the cordoned off area is there as a safety measure.

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Thaivisa Connect App

Ok so if for some reason you went to visit the sisteen chapelle and they had put ropes in front of it outside saying that inside was unsafe to walk further. Would you and the rest of the world just stay outside? No, because those ropes would of been put in place by thai immigrants too lazy to go inside and scout for the real delimitation and you would not be able to see ANY of the beauty you paid to see and are entitled to see as a human being living on this planet.

The ropes are as stupid as those "red flags" when they are no waves/no current and plenty of sunshine.

Edited August 30, 2012 by BabyJebus

[Soupdragon]

You do understand that the "protected" area have almost no corals? They're just quickly put there by lazy people to look like they care about safety.

So what you're saying is 'dont come to thailand'

I am not saying don't come to Thailand at all, whether the people putting the safety markers in place are lazy or not, the cordoned off area is there as a safety measure.

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Thaivisa Connect App

It's no secret that the speedboat captains know only two speeds, flat out and stop, surely common sense should dictate to proceed with caution close to areas with people in the water.