Teen Brit Girl Crashes Jet Ski Into Sunbathers

[PeaceBlondie]

That's really severe, when a runaway jetski pilot goes crashing onto a crowded beach. I get the idea that jetskis here, like in Nicaragua where I was almost hit by a drunk while I was in a crowded swimming area, are totally uncontrolled. No licensing of the vendors, the customers, the area to be used, no demarcation of swimming areas vs. jetski areas, no control of drunkenness, lack of training, no public shaming of the jetski operators who almost crash....

The drunk Nicaraguan almost hit me; the sober Thai nicked my hand. Either one of them could easily have killed me. Both times, I was swimming with others, in less than six feet of water. The Thai pilot was very apologetic, but the vendor couldn't have cared less.

As someone said, since this is Thailand, it will never get under control. In this regard, Thailand is a lawless nation. You have no protecton. Now, when I'm in the water and the jetskis come near, I go to much more shallow water and stand up, so they can see me.

[gburns57au]

There is a regulation as to the area where they can be ridden....I would say this girl was coming back to the beach when this happened.....

[sriracha john]

Now, when I'm in the water and the jetskis come near, I go to much more shallow water and stand up, so they can see me.

I wonder if even those measures are safe enough. If that girl was going just a smidgen faster, she'd have mowed down people walking along Beach Road....

[Mighty Mouse]

I wonder if even those measures are safe enough. If that girl was going just a smidgen faster, she'd have mowed down people walking along Beach Road....

...............and perhaps then jumped over Beach Road and skidded through the ground floor of the Royal Garden Arcade.

[wilko]

In Oz Jetskis etc are restricted to clearly marked areas, and they are several metres away form any swimmers etc...there is no such separation here in Thailand. Further more once moving they are not allwed within so many metres of the beach.....therefore there is no way this could happen in Oz, as if she was pointed at the beach it would have had to be an area cleared for jetski access or if out of control she would have still been well away from other swimmers or beach users. It is only a matter of time befoire there is a tragedy off the beaches round here....this will be a certainty unless drastic controls are adopted to separate boat traffic and beach users and swimmers.

[gburns57au]

In Oz Jetskis etc are restricted to clearly marked areas, and they are several metres away form any swimmers etc...there is no such separation here in Thailand. Further more once moving they are not allwed within so many metres of the beach.....therefore there is no way this could happen in Oz, as if she was pointed at the beach it would have had to be an area cleared for jetski access or if out of control she would have still been well away from other swimmers or beach users. It is only a matter of time befoire there is a tragedy off the beaches round here....this will be a certainty unless drastic controls are adopted to separate boat traffic and beach users and swimmers.

There is a delegated area including access areas, I have seen operators yelling out to renters when this has been breached....Unfortunately you can put in all the preventative measures that you can think of and accidents will still happen....thats why they are called accidents. The area for high speed riding runs parallel to the beach some 50 meters out....They are supposed to come back to shore at low speed and not engage in high speed riding till they are in the designated zone.

I think it was the case that she coming back to shore maybe in the wrong place or a bit fast and when called on it, she has panicked...thats just my call on it.

We seem to be quick to blame the Thais when they are accidents involving farangs.

[Mighty Mouse]

I think it was the case that she coming back to shore maybe in the wrong place or a bit fast and when called on it, she has panicked...thats just my call on it.

You have probably nailed it.

I had similar problems when I hired a jet ski at Jomptien. After buzzing around for half an hour and looking back towards the beach, the whole shoreline looked the same and I couldn't accurately identify the spot where I had hired the ski.

It's no excuse however, for approaching the beach too fast. (unless there was a throttle malfunction)

[wilko]

In Oz Jetskis etc are restricted to clearly marked areas, and they are several metres away form any swimmers etc...there is no such separation here in Thailand. Further more once moving they are not allwed within so many metres of the beach.....therefore there is no way this could happen in Oz, as if she was pointed at the beach it would have had to be an area cleared for jetski access or if out of control she would have still been well away from other swimmers or beach users. It is only a matter of time befoire there is a tragedy off the beaches round here....this will be a certainty unless drastic controls are adopted to separate boat traffic and beach users and swimmers.

There is a delegated area including access areas, I have seen operators yelling out to renters when this has been breached....Unfortunately you can put in all the preventative measures that you can think of and accidents will still happen....thats why they are called accidents. The area for high speed riding runs parallel to the beach some 50 meters out....They are supposed to come back to shore at low speed and not engage in high speed riding till they are in the designated zone.

I think it was the case that she coming back to shore maybe in the wrong place or a bit fast and when called on it, she has panicked...thats just my call on it.

We seem to be quick to blame the Thais when they are accidents involving farangs.

This is not an accident...it's an incident. I’m not blaming Thais, I'm blaming a system installed that is not thought through and so not fool-proof.....the safety margins are not great enough...another poster pointed out that once out to sea he couldn't find his way back...this is because the buoys and flags are not clearly visible. Any areas here are nowhere near far enough away from other users and are certainly not enforced. when one sets up a beach with both jet skis and swimmers it requires good and clear planning, not a hap-hazard free for all with a few flags and buoys stuck in as an afterthought. This is an international standard that is used all over the world. You may well find that some insurance companies may use this lack of regulation as an excuse not to pay out.

What the girl was doing is completely irrelevant...it should have been virtually impossible for her to get anywhere near other types of beach users. This is why the distances required are so great.

Safety does not leave things to chance it assumes the worst is going to happen and minimises the risks. In many cases they can be virtually eliminated. These incidents are clearly likely to happen if the correct safety measures are not taken. All anyone has to do is look at US or Oz beaches and take a leaf out of their books.

And as for mechanical failure ...that's not the responsability of the hirer??????!!!!!!

Edited January 31, 2006 by wilko

[Old Croc]

The legal driving age in Britain is 17. Perhaps a valid driving license should be sighted before a high powered water bike is rented to a kid.

[johnnyk]

Again, where were the parents?

I wouldn't let my kid anywhere near one of those things.

I wonder if even those measures are safe enough. If that girl was going just a smidgen faster, she'd have mowed down people walking along Beach Road....

...............and perhaps then jumped over Beach Road and skidded through the ground floor of the Royal Garden Arcade.

Thank heavens it wasn't near soi 6 as some of my 'friends' like to take the air outside King Kong

[gburns57au]

This is not an accident...it's an incident. I’m not blaming Thais, I'm blaming a system installed that is not thought through and so not fool-proof.....the safety margins are not great enough...another poster pointed out that once out to sea he couldn't find his way back...this is because the buoys and flags are not clearly visible. Any areas here are nowhere near far enough away from other users and are certainly not enforced. when one sets up a beach with both jet skis and swimmers it requires good and clear planning, not a hap-hazard free for all with a few flags and buoys stuck in as an afterthought. This is an international standard that is used all over the world. You may well find that some insurance companies may use this lack of regulation as an excuse not to pay out.

What the girl was doing is completely irrelevant...it should have been virtually impossible for her to get anywhere near other types of beach users. This is why the distances required are so great.

Safety does not leave things to chance it assumes the worst is going to happen and minimises the risks. In many cases they can be virtually eliminated. These incidents are clearly likely to happen if the correct safety measures are not taken. All anyone has to do is look at US or Oz beaches and take a leaf out of their books.

And as for mechanical failure ...that's not the responsability of the hirer??????!!!!!!

It is fine to put in international standards....the problem is that most people who rent these things dont have a clue what the standards are.....They rent the jetskis, the operators tell them the rules, some people stick to the rules, others dont, some people get disorientated especially those that are not used to riding these things, Remember that this is a tourist resort and a lot of the people who rent the skis are not professional or regular users...as I said you can put up all the measures you want to improve safety...it will not stop accidents from happening....

To Old Croc, I dont think 16yo is too young to ride a ski....after all in a lot of countries you can get a learners permit and in some countries a full driving licence at that age...I think it would be up to the parents to decide if she was mature enough to ride it.... JohnnyK.... Where were her parents??? ....probably on the beach watching her...

Edited January 31, 2006 by gburns57au

[wilko]

It is fine to put in international standards....the problem is that most people who rent these things dont have a clue what the standards are.....They rent the jetskis, the operators tell them the rules, some people stick to the rules, others dont, some people get disorientated especially those that are not used to riding these things, Remember that this is a tourist resort and a lot of the people who rent the skis are not professional or regular users...as I said you can put up all the measures you want to improve safety...it will not stop accidents from happening....

To Old Croc, I dont think 16yo is too young to ride a ski....after all in a lot of countries you can get a learners permit and in some countries a full driving licence at that age...I think it would be up to the parents to decide if she was mature enough to ride it.... JohnnyK.... Where were her parents??? ....probably on the beach watching her...

The whole point of safety precautions is that they are FOOL-PROOF - professionals etc know what they are doing!

The legal age for motor-cycles under under certain cubic capacity is 16 in the UK there is no requirement for a marine licence for jetskis, speed-boats or sailing boats.

Edited February 1, 2006 by wilko

[gburns57au]

The whole point of safety precautions is that they are FOOL-PROOF - professionals etc know what they are doing!

Safety precautions are fool proof to those that understand them.....eg professionals, regular users. But then you get some guy whos been lying in the sun drinking a few beers, not drunk but maybe a bit tipsy, decides to get on one...what good are safety precautions then. or as is more likely in this case....a young inexperienced rider, maybe her first time on one.....makes an error of judgement or is suddenly faced with a mechanical malfunction that she is simply too inexperienced to handle.

And you know what ?? I am sure that she aint feeling really great about the situation either. Pretty horrifying experience for a young girl one would think.

[johnnyk]

And you know what ?? I am sure that she aint feeling really great about the situation either. Pretty horrifying experience for a young girl one would think.

yeah, maybe she has learned that life can be a bitch sometimes....

[gburns57au]

The legal driving age in Britain is 17. Perhaps a valid driving license should be sighted before a high powered water bike is rented to a kid.

From news.com.au

THAI authorities will formally seek the extradition of an Australian tourist wanted over the death of a Thai man hit by a jet ski off Phuket.

The 29-year-old Australian, who has not been named, was questioned over the swimmer's death on January 25.

Police said he admitted renting a jet ski, but denied hitting anyone and was subsequently allowed to return to Australia due to a lack of evidence.

But Superintendent Police Colonel Teeraphol Thipjaroen today said officers had tracked down a witness who saw the Australian in the water near the dead man.

He said the witness testified that shortly after the accident the Australian got back on the jet ski and fled the area.

The Thai government will act on a police request that the man, believed to be from Sydney, be extradited to face charges.

The dead man, Ancon Nachaiya, 28, was found by lifeguards floating unconscious in the water off Laem Singh beach.

He was pronounced dead on arrival at Patong Hospital. A nurse at the hospital said the cause of death was drowning.

Under Thai law, jet skis may only be operated by people holding a valid Thai sea captain's licence but the regulation has never been enforced in Phuket.

Last November, NSW man Antonio Scognamiglio, 19, was critically injured in a jet ski accident off Phuket.

Nor would it seem in Pattaya....Perhaps Old Croc has a point.... A totally unworkable law by the Thais.

Edited February 2, 2006 by gburns57au

[astral]

I think it was very lucky that she only hit the beach and not some

unfortunate swimmer.

Think what damage the impact and the propellor could do.

On a legal note.

If you need a captain's licence to operate these boats, why on earth are they for rent to anyone?

TIT I guess.

[alexth]

The legal driving age in Britain is 17. Perhaps a valid driving license should be sighted before a high powered water bike is rented to a kid.

From news.com.au

THAI authorities will formally seek the extradition of an Australian tourist wanted over the death of a Thai man hit by a jet ski off Phuket.

The 29-year-old Australian, who has not been named, was questioned over the swimmer's death on January 25.

Police said he admitted renting a jet ski, but denied hitting anyone and was subsequently allowed to return to Australia due to a lack of evidence.

But Superintendent Police Colonel Teeraphol Thipjaroen today said officers had tracked down a witness who saw the Australian in the water near the dead man.

He said the witness testified that shortly after the accident the Australian got back on the jet ski and fled the area.

The Thai government will act on a police request that the man, believed to be from Sydney, be extradited to face charges.

The dead man, Ancon Nachaiya, 28, was found by lifeguards floating unconscious in the water off Laem Singh beach.

He was pronounced dead on arrival at Patong Hospital. A nurse at the hospital said the cause of death was drowning.

Under Thai law, jet skis may only be operated by people holding a valid Thai sea captain's licence but the regulation has never been enforced in Phuket.

Last November, NSW man Antonio Scognamiglio, 19, was critically injured in a jet ski accident off Phuket.

Nor would it seem in Pattaya....Perhaps Old Croc has a point.... A totally unworkable law by the Thais.

"But Superintendent Police Colonel Teeraphol Thipjaroen today said officers had tracked down a witness who saw the Australian in the water near the dead man."

I guess we all know what does a witness means in Thailand...it's a picked up "good man" who is pointng a finger.

Even though, sometimes it's ok, we all know about all kind of hooligans doing all kinds of crazy things and getting away with it. Again, it depends on how the law it's interpretated.

[tavarich]

I think it was very lucky that she only hit the beach and not some

unfortunate swimmer.

Think what damage the impact and the propellor could do.

On a legal note.

If you need a captain's licence to operate these boats, why on earth are they for rent to anyone?

TIT I guess.

FYI there are no props on a jet ski

[britmaveric]

I think it was very lucky that she only hit the beach and not some

unfortunate swimmer.

Think what damage the impact and the propellor could do.

On a legal note.

If you need a captain's licence to operate these boats, why on earth are they for rent to anyone?

TIT I guess.

FYI there are no props on a jet ski

Small detail....