Phuket Opinion: Saving swimmers by keeping them out of the sea

[Lite Beer]

Phuket Opinion: Saving swimmers by keeping them out of the sea
Phuket Gazette -

The head of the Kata-Karon Lifeguard Club says tourists need to listen to lifeguards instead of risking their own lives. Photo: Chutharat Plerin

Phang Nga native Uten Singsom, 37, has been working as a lifeguard for 14 years, first at Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort in Patong and for the past three years on Karon Beach. Today, he is the head of the Kata-Karon Lifeguard Club. Here he talks about what government and hotels should do to make Phuket beaches safer and stop tourists from drowning.

PHUKET: It should be illegal to swim when red flags are posted, and hotels should warn their guests clearly about the dangers of the sea during the low season.

When there is dangerous surf, we post red flags along the beach to warn swimmers, but many of them ignore the flags. Many times when we try to stop them from going into the sea when it is dangerous, they swear at us. Sometimes they even hit my staff.

The authorities should take action against people who do not listen to us. They should fine people who do not obey the rules that are in place to save their lives.

Hotels and resorts should post signs in their lobbies or hotel rooms to warn guests not to swim during the southwest monsoon. I suggested this idea to some hotels, but most of them disagreed. They worried it would chase their guests away.

I understand that they’re looking at it from a business point of view – and I also understand that a big dream of many tourists who visit Phuket is to swim at our beautiful beaches. But as a lifeguard, I would say that if they come here to die, it’s better not to come.

We don’t have the authority to stop people from going into the water. We need help with this. We have enough stress in our job without having to fight with people who won’t listen to us.

We’re under incredible pressure when we rescue swimmers. I always try my best to save them. Even when they disappear in the water, I feel I have to find them. Whether they are alive or dead, I will not leave them in the water. If they die at sea, I want to at least return their body to the shore.

About two years ago, I rescued a German man by pulling him out of a rip current. It was scary and I almost died.

My friend and I took a jet-ski out to rescue him. The waves were really strong. As we arrived near him, I jumped off the jet-ski and stuck the rescue float under his chest. I tried pulling him out of the strong waves in a safer direction.

He was big and heavy and had been hit so many times by the waves before I got to him that he was exhausted and about to pass out. I asked him to help me swim and tried to go under the waves with him to avoid being hit, but he was too scared and too tired. I had to pull him all the way with my own strength.

The waves hit me again and again and pulled him and me in the wrong direction. I was choking on sea water and felt exhausted. I felt like I couldn’t hold on anymore.

At that moment, I even thought about leaving him and swimming away alone, but a voice in my head told me to try again and I finally made it.

After we got out of the rip current, my friend picked us both up with the jet-ski and took us safely back to shore.

In some cases, after getting people back to shore, I have to do CPR. This part is also stressful because their lives are in my hands. I really want to save them, I want them to survive.

Sometimes as I am about to do CPR, a family member of the person I pulled out of the water comes and says to me tearfully, “Please save my son. Please do not let him die.” That puts more pressure on me and makes me very sad if finally I can’t save the person.

The last time I did CPR was on June 23, on an Indian tourist named Ramesh Chand Singhal, who was pronounced dead on arrival at Patong Hospital. That day I went home feeling so depressed.

We do everything in our power to help swimmers in trouble. We would like the authorities to keep them from getting in the water in the first place, when the surf is dangerous.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Phuket-Opinion-Saving-swimmers-by-keeping-them-out-of-the-sea-21705.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2013-07-21

[muratremix]

I remember seeing a red flag on February, which is clearly ain't low season. Everybody was swimming, so do I. It warns against open ocean and strong waves and thats it.

Oh, and of course, Thais won't risk their lives to save somebody drowning in sea unlike in Farangland

[JO1973]

"Many times when we try to stop them from going into the sea when it is dangerous, they swear at us. Sometimes they even hit my staff."

I think you're lying Uten Singsom.

[sesdave]

"Many times when we try to stop them from going into the sea when it is dangerous, they swear at us. Sometimes they even hit my staff."

I think you're lying Uten Singsom.

Back up your statement or retract it. - are you on the beach every day watching the lifeguards and the tourists. . Over the last few years I have seen many tourist get annoyed with lifeguards trying to advise them that the sea is too dangerous for swimming when red flags are out both on Surin and Karon. These guys do the best they can with very limited facilities compared with their farang counterparts and should be given due respect for what is a very dangerous job. If tourist are stupid enough to think they know better than what they are being told go swimming when red flags are out they deserve the consequences. Has the previous poster ever encountered a rip tide - if your not a surfer chances are you will panic try to swin against it and drown - thats how it nearly always happens unless there is a lifeguard around to pull you out. so give these guys some respect please.

[BlackJack]

always use fins or flippers in the surf

[Justincase]

Red flags on the beach mean it is dangerous to go into the water - full stop.

If you saw a red flag in February it still applies - Phuket beaches are prone to suffer from rips - this has nothing to do with big waves and if you have ever had the misfortune to get caught in a rip you will know the incredible power unleashed by them

Rips occur at different places and different times on the same beach ( they move ) - the lifeguards and people who know what to look for in the water can tell where a rip is likely to form and will plant a red flag in the area

Please do not confuse "big waves" with rips - they are very different and a rip is very dangerous

[Justincase]

During the low season on Phuket we have on average 1 drowning a week - I have personally witnessed 6 lifesaving rescues by the Phuket Lifeguards on the beaches of Phuket in the last 12 months

In every case it was a farang tourist who ignored the red flags and went into the water at the wrong point - read rips not "big waves"

The last rescue I saw was on Nai Harn beach 2 weeks ago at 0910 in the morning when a teenage Austrian girl was unable to get back to the beach - 2 lifeguards ran into the water ( one with a large rescue board and the other with a rescue float )

The guy with the rescue float got to her first and held her head up before the guy with the rescue board arrived - in the meantime her distraught mother was screaming and crying and pacing up and down the beach

They brought her safely back to the beach to her grateful mother - both lifeguards were visibly exhausted by this rescue. The beach was covered in red flags and one even had a skull and crossbones nailed to the post with the red flag - still they ( the tourists ) went in

A Russian man died recently here on Karon Beach - him and his wife were standing in the sea at waist deep water and enjoying the waves crashing down all around them - they were not swimming

All of a sudden they both disapeared into the surf ( a rip not "big waves" ) took them out to sea - the beach was covered in red flags but immediately 2 lifeguards sprang into action

They risked their lives and managed to pull the Russian guys wife out of the water but unfortunately when they got to the Russian guy he was already dead but they still brought his body back to shore and considerable risk to themselves

Red flags = do not enter the water ( rips have nothing to do with big waves )

[Justincase]

Russian tourist saved from Phuket killer rip, flash warning issued

Phuket Gazette - Monday, July 22, 2013 11:34:24 AM

Sunny weather brings more tourists to the beach, luring them into the dangerous rip currents. Photo: Surin-Bangtao Surf Lifesaving Club

• 
• 
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PHUKET: A proposal to post “Double Red Flag Rip Current” warnings at Phuket beaches gained momentum yesterday after a fit Russian tourist ignored a red warning flag and was caught in a flash rip, leading to a daring and dangerous rescue by members of the Surin-Bangtao Surf Lifesaving Club.

The incident prompted lifeguards to issue a flash rip warning at all west and south facing beaches along Phuket’s west coast.

Lifeguards were on patrol only 150 meters away as the unsuspecting swimmer ignored the red flags and warning signs on Surin Beach and headed for deeper water, one lifeguard explained to the Phuket Gazette.

“As soon as he entered the water, two surf rescue lifeguards were on their way to warn him. But by the time they arrived, it was already too late. The intended warning had become a serious rescue situation,” he said.

The Russian man had jumped directly into a flash rip current, which is a hidden “river” of water flowing swiftly out to sea. Often these rip currents are present where the waves are smaller, and to the untrained eye this may look like a good place to enter the water.

Onlookers watched as the two experienced lifeguards reached the victim, and began to tow him to shore. All three were pounded by heavy surf for nearly six minutes as they made their way back to safety.

“The outgoing tide bumped the existing rip current up to incredible strength and speed. The escape area to tow the victim to shore was very narrow, if we missed it there was another rip on the other side which was pulling through exposed rocks. It was a very dangerous situation. It could have taken us all,” said one of the lifeguards who carried out the difficult rescue.

Phuket’s lifeguards and ocean safety experts are beginning to understand more clearly how, and when, beach swimming conditions are most severe and likely to result in tragedy. Entering the ocean in the wrong spot during this time of year will almost certainly result in trouble for all except expert surfers and lifeguards.

“My idea is to identify when all the danger factors co-exist, and issue a ‘Double Red Flag Rip Current’ warning, in the hope that people will take the danger more seriously,” said the lifeguard.

“The flags will have international symbols for ‘No Swimming’ and ‘Rip Current’ clearly visible. If we can clearly mark the rip current areas and keep swimmers from going there, we can save lives, maybe even our own,” the rescuing lifeguard said.

The lifeguard explained that the main danger factors that create killer rips were:

– High tidal variations of over 2.4 meters, which usually occur in the two days on either side of a full moon

– Surf one meter and above with high wave frequency

– Persistent southwest monsoon winds above 20 km/hr

– Sunny, fair weather

“If the first three exist, but the weather is raining and stormy, most tourists avoid the beach, and we are usually spared,” explained the lifeguard. “But if the weather is sunny, we know there will be swimmers trying to enter the water. If they enter near the rip, it is almost certain they will be in trouble right away.”

Another factor is that the “low” season of yesteryear, when few people entered the water, is now the “green” season. During this time of year the number of beachgoers and swimmers has markedly increased along with record numbers of tourist arrivals on Phuket.

“All beach hotels large and small, as well as the media, should be warning their customers of the severe danger which we predict will last until this coming Wednesday, and then begin to ease. Many hotels have an ‘in-house’ television channel which would be perfect for displaying the warning,” said the lifeguard.

“If everyone does not take this seriously, I fear more lives may be threatened or lost over the next five days,” he added.

The warning applies to all west and south facing beaches on Phuket, and especially Layan, Bang Tao, Surin, Laem Sing, Karon, Kata and Kata Noi beaches.

“If conditions improve in the meantime, we will inform the Phuket Gazette to cancel the warning,” the lifeguard explained.

[TackyToo]

Maybe I'm a little over enthusiastic. After reading the headline I thought why does'nt it read:

Saving tourist lives by keeping them away from Phuket!

[nosatisfaction]

I remember seeing a red flag on February, which is clearly ain't low season. Everybody was swimming, so do I. It warns against open ocean and strong waves and thats it.

Oh, and of course, Thais won't risk their lives to save somebody drowning in sea unlike in Farangland

What you are saying is complete B......T, and shows you don't have any respect for anything.Furthermore it shows your complete stupidity, remember the saying: if someone jumps from the bridge would you do the same?

if in Europe red flag is out you don't see anybody in the water, why the F..K should it be different here,

nothing more to say, cannot even find something funny unlike a lot of topics

[SSSlongtime]

trying being a life guard ,aint a easy job ,who would wont to go in the sea when it gets wild to save someone when they have been warned not to go in

[muratremix]

I remember seeing a red flag on February, which is clearly ain't low season. Everybody was swimming, so do I. It warns against open ocean and strong waves and thats it.

Oh, and of course, Thais won't risk their lives to save somebody drowning in sea unlike in Farangland

What you are saying is complete B......T, and shows you don't have any respect for anything.Furthermore it shows your complete stupidity, remember the saying: if someone jumps from the bridge would you do the same?

if in Europe red flag is out you don't see anybody in the water, why the F..K should it be different here,

nothing more to say, cannot even find something funny unlike a lot of topics

What part is offended you more? The fact that I swam on February despite the red flag (everyone did, no big waves) or the fact that Thais won't risk their life to save a drowning farang? I guess the latter one.

Facts are facts. Don't get offended.

[nosatisfaction]

"Many times when we try to stop them from going into the sea when it is dangerous, they swear at us. Sometimes they even hit my staff."

I think you're lying Uten Singsom.

Back up your statement or retract it. - are you on the beach every day watching the lifeguards and the tourists. . Over the last few years I have seen many tourist get annoyed with lifeguards trying to advise them that the sea is too dangerous for swimming when red flags are out both on Surin and Karon. These guys do the best they can with very limited facilities compared with their farang counterparts and should be given due respect for what is a very dangerous job. If tourist are stupid enough to think they know better than what they are being told go swimming when red flags are out they deserve the consequences. Has the previous poster ever encountered a rip tide - if your not a surfer chances are you will panic try to swin against it and drown - thats how it nearly always happens unless there is a lifeguard around to pull you out. so give these guys some respect please.

agree 1000%, and yes I put 1 Xtra 0, most of these people, same as the rescue teams whom use a lot of volunteers, deserve all respect.Obviously there are always some abuses of situations, but this happens everywhere

[I Like Thai]

I remember seeing a red flag on February, which is clearly ain't low season. Everybody was swimming, so do I. It warns against open ocean and strong waves and thats it.

Oh, and of course, Thais won't risk their lives to save somebody drowning in sea unlike in Farangland

What you are saying is complete B......T, and shows you don't have any respect for anything.Furthermore it shows your complete stupidity, remember the saying: if someone jumps from the bridge would you do the same?

if in Europe red flag is out you don't see anybody in the water, why the F..K should it be different here,

nothing more to say, cannot even find something funny unlike a lot of topics

What part is offended you more? The fact that I swam on February despite the red flag (everyone did, no big waves) or the fact that Thais won't risk their life to save a drowning farang? I guess the latter one.

Facts are facts. Don't get offended.

PHUKET: -- A proposal to post “Double Red Flag Rip Current” warnings at Phuket beaches gained momentum yesterday after a fit Russian tourist ignored a red warning flag and was caught in a flash rip, leading to a daring and dangerous rescue by members of the Surin-Bangtao Surf Lifesaving Club.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/655337-russian-tourist-saved-from-phuket-killer-rip-flash-warning-issued/

[dao16]

"Many times when we try to stop them from going into the sea when it is dangerous, they swear at us. Sometimes they even hit my staff."

I think you're lying Uten Singsom.

Have you been around tourists in these spots in Thailand? Some of them are not very nice and walk around like they own the place. This wouldn't surprise me at all.

[sandrabbit]

at the moment Hat Mae Rhum Phung beach in Rayong is covered in red flags, there are strong winds and a high surf (by Rayong's standards) yet the sea is full of Thai's come for the holiday weekend. I don't think the rip tide here is as bad as Phuket's, we don't get anywhere near the reported deaths as Phuket although 2 years ago 7 died in one week. The parents are chucking back the booze while the children are playing unsupervised in the sea with innertubes, I'm from the Bristol Channel area and people used to be whisked miles out to sea by high winds on inflatables. it beggars belief and my girlfriend just says they want to enjoy their holidays, sometimes you want to scream at them.

[Felt 35]

If the value of they who make the wheels turn on (tourists) this island was near to the greed to get their money they closed the beaches in low season.

[Ulic]

As far as I am concerned the red flags are a warning and an indicator that the conditions are inappropriate for people who cannot swim.

I have spent six months in the off season April through October the past three years.At my favourite beach Kata Noi the red flags were up 100% of the

time. I probably went to the beach 100 times each year and not once were they not being used. Now that is not to say that I went swimming

every time. There were 5-6 times each year that I thought it was too rough for me but the rest of the time I was in the water 3-4 times a

day with absolutely no issues. I spent many summers on the beaches of the Outer Banks in North Carolina and know my limits.

As youngsters we use to look for and jump into the rips to take us out to the sand bars we wanted to body surf on. This was much easier

than fighting our way through the break. The problem here is people don't swim well or at all and have no experience in the ocean.(Or they are drunk)

I do think marking the rips is a great idea. They are incredibly dangerous if an inexperienced swimmer panics and fights against them.

Instructions on what to do if you are caught in a rip current should be posted at the entrance to all beaches in multiple languages.

A flier in multiple languages should be given to all guests as they check into there hotels or possibly at airport immigration.

Part of that pamphlet should include the tourist giving him/her self an honest self assessment of there swimming abilities. Also each beach

should have a clearly marked out area indicating it is under lifeguard over site. Weaker swimmers should be encouraged to check in with

the life guard and ask them to keep an extra eye on them. Also more life guards should me hired on a multi year contract so there is not the

year after year lack of coverage as contracts end and the new one has not been awarded yet so there is no money to pay the staff.

Phuket is a seaside/beach destination and fining/arresting vacationers for going into the water because someone has arbitrarily decided

to put up a red flag as it is unsafe is wrong in my opinion. The swimmer has to make the call and bear the ultimate responsibility.

[nakhonandy]

Red flags on the beach mean it is dangerous to go into the water - full stop.

If you saw a red flag in February it still applies - Phuket beaches are prone to suffer from rips - this has nothing to do with big waves and if you have ever had the misfortune to get caught in a rip you will know the incredible power unleashed by them

Rips occur at different places and different times on the same beach ( they move ) - the lifeguards and people who know what to look for in the water can tell where a rip is likely to form and will plant a red flag in the area

Please do not confuse "big waves" with rips - they are very different and a rip is very dangerous

Agree entirely.

These are warnings, if you don't know what you are doing don't get in.

These people in Phuket do a good job at risk to themselves. Respect.

[Valentine]

I remember seeing a red flag on February, which is clearly ain't low season. Everybody was swimming, so do I. It warns against open ocean and strong waves and thats it.

Oh, and of course, Thais won't risk their lives to save somebody drowning in sea unlike in Farangland

What you are saying is complete B......T, and shows you don't have any respect for anything.Furthermore it shows your complete stupidity, remember the saying: if someone jumps from the bridge would you do the same?

if in Europe red flag is out you don't see anybody in the water, why the F..K should it be different here,

nothing more to say, cannot even find something funny unlike a lot of topics

What part is offended you more? The fact that I swam on February despite the red flag (everyone did, no big waves) or the fact that Thais won't risk their life to save a drowning farang? I guess the latter one.

Facts are facts. Don't get offended.

So according to you the stories posted on this thread about rescues performed by Thai lifeguards (risking their own lives) are BS. Frankly you are offensive.