Thai hotel clerk rescues drowning Swiss tourist



A hotel clerk rescued a drowning Swiss tourist as he struggled to get back to shore in heavy seas in Koh Samui.

KOH SAMUI: -- November 22, 2013 [PDN]; At 5.00 p.m. a journalists reported that there was the incident of a tourist who got into difficulty in the sea off the beach of Chaweng Cove Resotel hotel, Moo 3 Tambon Borphood, Amphur Koh Samui, Suratthani province so the journalists went to inspect at scene.

Upon arriving at the incident the journalist found that there were hotel clerks and almost 100 tourists and they were pointing out that there was foreign tourist drowning due to the rough sea with 4 meter waves, he was having difficulty swimming back to shore. Suddenly, Mr. Thanyaboon Somsong, aged 24, and his colleagues of the Beach Guard department of Chaweng Cove Resotel hotel had seen the incident so Mr. Thanyaboon asked for permission from the hotel manager to wear a life jacket and then headed out on the jet ski in to heavy seas to rescue the drowning tourist a Mr. Stephan Fassola, aged 42, who is Swiss tourist.

Mr. Stephan was a little bit weary and said that he is staying at O.P. Bungalow hotel which is almost 1 km from there, he also said that even though the red flags were flying telling people not to go into the water because it is too dangerous he violated this because he said he is a strong swimmer but once out in the rough sea roughly 100 meters from shore he was tossed around by the large waves which made him very tired and struggled to get back to shore, so he waved his arms trying to attract attention. He also added that he would like to thank Mr. Thanyaboon that endangered himself to rescue him.

Source: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2013/11/22/hotel-clerk-jet-ski-rescue/

-- Pattaya Daily News 2013-11-22

I have done this twice as a civvy on holiday. Nooooooooooo resident lifeguard . (not in LOS)

Stupid farang... with waves like today, it's suicide to swim.

Fair play to Mr Thanyaboon ...Mr Stephan Fassola deserves a slap around the head tho

Fair play to Mr Thanyaboon ...Mr Stephan Fassola deserves a slap around the head tho

You will not believe this. but the few I saved from drowning did not say thank you or buy me a beer. Perhaps they felt embarrassed, never worked that one out.

Those tourists would never do that in their own countries, red flag means the same everywhere , but here they still believe they can do anything .. just hope he will reward very well the guy who saved him ...... Well done Mr Thanyaboon

I was in a similar predicament once, but I used my Swiss Army knife to cut through the waves and reach the shore safely.

Fair play to Mr Thanyaboon ...Mr Stephan Fassola deserves a slap around the head tho

You will not believe this. but the few I saved from drowning did not say thank you or buy me a beer. Perhaps they felt embarrassed, never worked that one out.

There's nowt as queer as folk ...then again, perhaps they were trying to drown themselves and didn't want saving

Fair play to Mr Thanyaboon ...Mr Stephan Fassola deserves a slap around the head tho

You will not believe this. but the few I saved from drowning did not say thank you or buy me a beer. Perhaps they felt embarrassed, never worked that one out.

There's nowt as queer as folk ...then again, perhaps they were trying to drown themselves and didn't want saving

The thought did cross my mind , but nooooooooo, none of them fought me off. Especially the Italian lass.........

If you're going to go out in that big surf at least take a board, you never know you might get the ride of you're life or get a decent barrel. Always always remember to swim with the rip then try cut across it, I dont know it they teach you that in switzerland with all the big surf they have there.

Those tourists would never do that in their own countries, red flag means the same everywhere , but here they still believe they can do anything .. just hope he will reward very well the guy who saved him ...... Well done Mr Thanyaboon

Have you ever visited the pristine beaches in Switzerland

If you're going to go out in that big surf at least take a board, you never know you might get the ride of you're life or get a decent barrel. Always always remember to swim with the rip then try cut across it, I dont know it they teach you that in switzerland with all the big surf they have there.

Sorry forgot to add a sarcastic smiley face

Those tourists would never do that in their own countries, red flag means the same everywhere , but here they still believe they can do anything .. just hope he will reward very well the guy who saved him ...... Well done Mr Thanyaboon

Rubbish, I risked MY neck to save numnuts in the UK...............

"KOH SAMUI: -- November 22, 2013 [PDN]; At 5.00 p.m. a journalists reported "

Waooo, now we get the news even before it happen

I was in a similar predicament once, but I used my Swiss Army knife to cut through the waves and reach the shore safely.

You're a funny man Jo!

Edited November 22, 201312 yr by lostmebike

Those tourists would never do that in their own countries, red flag means the same everywhere , but here they still believe they can do anything .. just hope he will reward very well the guy who saved him ...... Well done Mr Thanyaboon

Nor sure if they have red flags on the beaches in Switzerland but be assured,

for every silly tourist who goes swimming in the sea despite warnings not to do so,

you'll find a silly tourist climbing up the mountains despite warnings not to do so.

I was in a similar predicament once, but I used my Swiss Army knife to cut through the waves and reach the shore safely.

Glad to hear the knife helped. Did they find and re-attach your missing 5 fingers and 4 toes.? .....................

Well done Mr Somsong and colleagues.

Buddha's blessings be upon you.

Those tourists would never do that in their own countries, red flag means the same everywhere , but here they still believe they can do anything .. just hope he will reward very well the guy who saved him ...... Well done Mr Thanyaboon

Have you ever visited the pristine beaches in Switzerland

We swiss have no monopoly on fine (ocean) beaches but pristine lake beaches grace many of our cities, and I would drink a glass of water off the beach: by the same token, we are not over endowed with agricultural land, or mineral resources, but we do own the biggest food company and one of the biggest mining companies in the world.

Edited November 22, 201312 yr by eddie61

I was in a similar predicament once, but I used my Swiss Army knife to cut through the waves and reach the shore safely.

Glad to hear the knife helped. Did they find and re-attach your missing 5 fingers and 4 toes.? .....................

Luckily, I could retrieve them all using my Rolex Submariner Oyster Perpetual Datejust for the dive and had them reattached at Dr. Somchai's plastic surgery clinic.

I was in a similar predicament once, but I used my Swiss Army knife to cut through the waves and reach the shore safely.

Glad to hear the knife helped. Did they find and re-attach your missing 5 fingers and 4 toes.? .....................

Luckily, I could retrieve them all using my Rolex Submariner Oyster Perpetual Datejust for the dive and had them reattached at Dr. Somchai's plastic surgery clinic.

Good man...... .........

Tambon Borphood

Those tourists would never do that in their own countries, red flag means the same everywhere , but here they still believe they can do anything .. just hope he will reward very well the guy who saved him ...... Well done Mr Thanyaboon

Have you ever visited the pristine beaches in Switzerland

We swiss have no monopoly on fine (ocean) beaches but pristine lake beaches grace many of our cities, and I would drink a glass of water off the beach: by the same token, we are not over endowed with agricultural land, or mineral resources, but we do own the biggest food company and one of the biggest mining companies in the world.

Are you serious ?

Last Christmas.

Fair play to Mr Thanyaboon ...Mr Stephan Fassola deserves a slap around the head tho

You will not believe this. but the few I saved from drowning did not say thank you or buy me a beer. Perhaps they felt embarrassed, never worked that one out.

Maybe more "kiss of life" and less tongue....

Those tourists would never do that in their own countries, red flag means the same everywhere , but here they still believe they can do anything .. just hope he will reward very well the guy who saved him ...... Well done Mr Thanyaboon

Have you ever visited the pristine beaches in Switzerland

We swiss have no monopoly on fine (ocean) beaches but pristine lake beaches grace many of our cities, and I would drink a glass of water off the beach: by the same token, we are not over endowed with agricultural land, or mineral resources, but we do own the biggest food company and one of the biggest mining companies in the world.

Not the best of swimmers though...apparently.

Those tourists would never do that in their own countries, red flag means the same everywhere , but here they still believe they can do anything .. just hope he will reward very well the guy who saved him ...... Well done Mr Thanyaboon

Have you ever visited the pristine beaches in Switzerland

We swiss have no monopoly on fine (ocean) beaches but pristine lake beaches grace many of our cities, and I would drink a glass of water off the beach: by the same token, we are not over endowed with agricultural land, or mineral resources, but we do own the biggest food company and one of the biggest mining companies in the world.

Shareholder listing? All Swiss? Nestle and Glencorp? yeah...right!!

Happy to see it still civic spirit by young people in Thailand. Not only thieves, scams and bad Thai young people !

Stupid farang... with waves like today, it's suicide to swim.

I missed the compassion and gratitude to the clerk in your post. Sorry. It must have been vailed beneath the name calling and suicide comparison.

Three cheers for the clerk! Glad the swimmer made it out alive.

Fair play to Mr Thanyaboon ...Mr Stephan Fassola deserves a slap around the head tho

I believe Mr. Fassola received more than enough slaps and the scare of his life from the ocean. No need for me to presume I could offer more of either.

Easy Does It