One Phuket snorkeler drowns, one sent to hospital

Phuket Gazette –

Two female tourists were taken to hospital following separate snorkeling incidents on Koh Racha. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

PHUKET: Two snorkeling incidents on Koh Racha, about 25 kilometers south of Phuket, have left a Chinese woman dead and an Indian woman in hospital. (Click here to see Phuket Breaking News report.)

Yuan Dingrong, 56, who was spending a week in Patong with nine of her family members, drowned after getting into difficulties while snorkeling off Ao La (La Bay) on November 20, a member of the Tourist Police told the Phuket Gazette.

Police reported that Ms Yuan’s daughter noticed that something was wrong after about 10 minutes of her mother being in the water. They pulled Ms Yuan back into the boat and proceeded to Koh Racha Hospital.

With no improvement in Ms Yuan’s condition, it was decided to transfer her to the better-equipped Phuket International Hospital. Medical staff continued to perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) during the journey, but were unable to revive her.

Ms Yuan was declared dead at 1:30pm.

The same afternoon a 44-year-old Indian woman, Jyoti Chavhan, was taken to hospital after having issues while snorkeling off Koh Racha.

Ms Chavhan, who was on holiday with her family on Koh Racha, allegedly took in water through her snorkel, causing a blockage of her airways.

A speedboat rushed her back to Phuket, where she was transferred to a Vachira Phuket Hospital ambulance.

A Vachira Hospital official told the Gazette that Ms Chavhan was transferred to Patong Hospital soon after arriving.

Patong Hospital staff said that Ms Chavhan is in a stable condition and should be discharged today.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2012/One-Phuket-snorkeler-drowns-one-sent-to-hospital-19508.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-11-21

RIP the deceased lady. Question - who supplies the snorkeling equipment ? I suspect a tour deal. Should the operators of the tour not be required to give some sort of basic instructions on the equipment to novice snorkelers. I know not scuba gear and just a simple breathing tube, but some care must be given to novice divers.

RIP the deceased lady. Question - who supplies the snorkeling equipment ? I suspect a tour deal. Should the operators of the tour not be required to give some sort of basic instructions on the equipment to novice snorkelers. I know not scuba gear and just a simple breathing tube, but some care must be given to novice divers.

Yes, the operator should do that. But increasing safety would make the tour more expensive and these tours are really, really cheap. The Chinese tour agent offers the Phuket trip all inclusive, with the tours bargained with the operator at a really base price. Any increase in safety, ideally a snorkeling guide on board to also educate them about environment, and therefor price would not be accepted by the tour agent, who is IMO the real responsible party here.

The snorkeling equipment must fit with the individual body: Diving googles, mouthpiece for the snorkle and the most important: the correct size of the flippers.

A cramp caused by oversized flippers is one of the reasons for accidents by snorkeling.

RIP the deceased lady.

RIP the deceased lady. Question - who supplies the snorkeling equipment ? I suspect a tour deal. Should the operators of the tour not be required to give some sort of basic instructions on the equipment to novice snorkelers. I know not scuba gear and just a simple breathing tube, but some care must be given to novice divers.

I agree. But, I would say knowing how to swim would be a good thing before one goes snorkeling... I have seen many people in water skiing style life vests snorkeling.