Koh Samui: Australian man chokes to death

[webfact]

Elderly Australian Man Chokes To Death

A 71-year-old Australian man who was eating a minced pork omelette before he was due to fly back home choked to death after a piece got stuck in his throat.

SURAT THANI – February 8, 2014 [PDN]; at 11.00 a.m. Pol. Lt. Daenchai Boontharm (police on duty of Bor Phood police station, Surat Thani province) was notified that there was a foreign tourist who had choked to death whilst eating in a restaurant in Tambon Maret, Amphur Koh Samui, so he rushed to inspect at scene together with Dr. Kritsadaporn Hema (the doctor on duty of Koh Samui hospital) and the rescuers of Koh Samui Association.

At the incident the officers found the corpse of Mr David Ian, Australian nationality on the floor beside the table. He had been dead for approximately 1 hour and his wife Mrs Macdonald David was crying.

Mrs Macdonald told the officers that she and Mr. David (her husband) came to eat food at the restaurant and her husband ate a minced pork omelette with rice and when he finished he drank some water but suddenly he started choking and fell onto the ground where he died.

The police collected the food scraps that were left in the dish of food for evidence. The corpse was then sent Koh Samui hospital for an autopsy to find the actual cause of his death again.

Mr. David Ian and his wife had been staying at the bungalow since January 30, 2014 and they planned to go back to Australia the night of the incident. His body will be sent back to his home for the funeral.

Source: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2014/02/08/elderly-australian-man-chokes-to-death/


-- Pattaya Daily News 2014-02-08

[96tehtarp]

Sad. Poor chap. RIP.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Dead for an hour?? No one who could administer first aid in the vicinity?

Pointless questions it seems.

[Costas2008]

Jiu-Jitsu, on 08 Feb 2014 - 15:18, said:

Dead for an hour?? No one who could administer first aid in the vicinity?

Pointless questions it seems.

I doubt he choked to death, he probably had a heart failure after chocking, from the stress.

Anyway we will hear from the autopsy.

RIP, David.

[Suradit69]

Dead for an hour?? No one who could administer first aid in the vicinity?

Pointless questions it seems.

What does one thing have to do with the other? Some people who have had the Heimlich maneuver or CPR administered still die despite first aid efforts. I doubt that everyone sat around finishing their meals without making some effort, no matter how futile, to help.

If you realized it was a pointless question, why post it? Every time some farang death is posted here, no matter how un-newsworthy the event may be, it seems to attract decidedly bizarre speculation. If farang deaths need to be reported at all, there ought to be a separate forum with doubly strict posting rules to cull out the pointless and creepy messages. Certainly in any reputable publication there would be controls over comments made following death notices or obituaries.

Very sorry for his wife. Suffering this sort of loss at home amongst friends and family would be devastating, but to be left alone so far from home must make it all the more traumatic, particularly for someone her (presumed) age.

Edited February 8, 2014 by Suradit69

[davejones]

Dead for an hour?? No one who could administer first aid in the vicinity?

Pointless questions it seems.

Maybe they did and it failed. Aren't you able to think things through properly?

[brianP]

Knew of a musician friend that used a finger pick to grab a piece of hot dog from a toddlers throat. The throat tenses up and automatically closes tight during panic. people have successfully dislodged their own throats by various ways too.

[humqdpf]

The way the story is reported, it looks like the Australian died from something other than choking as a result of food stuck in the throat. But if not, I hope it was not because no one knew the Heimlich maneuver. This is something anyone can learn in a few minutes and it gives you the gift of saving the life of someone else.

[Taco]

Strange food to choke on? A greasy thai omlet with minced pork and rice. The most dangerous food items to choke on are round as they lodge perfectly in the esophagus. Hot dogs and round candies are number one and two. My best friend's mother died at his wedding reception choking on a piece of steak. Its a horrifying thing to witness.

[Cylon]

I choked on a lump of sticky rice once,but girlfriend smashed me on the back,And it came back up.Scary shit.

[churchill]

The way the story is reported, it looks like the Australian died from something other than choking as a result of food stuck in the throat. But if not, I hope it was not because no one knew the Heimlich maneuver. This is something anyone can learn in a few minutes and it gives you the gift of saving the life of someone else.

'the Heimlich maneuver'

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000047.htm

[evadgib]

Edited February 8, 2014 by evadgib

[Fore Man]

I am sad to say this, but I came close to dying while dining in a Melbourne restaurant...I was eating steak when a piece got lodged in my throat. I stood up, urgently pointing at my throat, while dozens of diners just sat there...stunned perhaps, but not a soul came to my aid. Finally I quickly walked around the table to where a colleague was sitting. I was praying that he knew what to do. I even turned around and presented my backside to him, and mimicked the Heimlich a Maneuver using my clenched hands placed at my lower stomach and yanking up and back. Thank heavens he knew exactly what to do, and quickly and forcefully applied the technique. The steak popped out and I caught it my hand. This chap had just returned from Afghanistan as a US Special Forces A Team member. SF members routinely cross-train their skills with their mates on the same team. Had Dan not been there that evening, I probably wouldn't be writing this post.

One very important thing to remember is that you must apply the maneuver forcefully, as if you might inflict pain or damage. That is the only way the airway will be forceably cleared and eject the blocking item.

Yes, I join other posters in expressing my condolences...indeed a horrible way to go. May the poor fellow RIP.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Dead for an hour?? No one who could administer first aid in the vicinity?

Pointless questions it seems.

Maybe they did and it failed. Aren't you able to think things through properly?

I can guarantee a darn sight better than you. It states that they rushed to the scene, but yet he had been dead for a hour.

[alex8912]

I am sad to say this, but I came close to dying while dining in a Melbourne restaurant...I was eating steak when a piece got lodged in my throat. I stood up, urgently pointing at my throat, while dozens of diners just sat there...stunned perhaps, but not a soul came to my aid. Finally I quickly walked around the table to where a colleague was sitting. I was praying that he knew what to do. I even turned around and presented my backside to him, and mimicked the Heimlich a Maneuver using my clenched hands placed at my lower stomach and yanking up and back. Thank heavens he knew exactly what to do, and quickly and forcefully applied the technique. The steak popped out and I caught it my hand. This chap had just returned from Afghanistan as a US Special Forces A Team member. SF members routinely cross-train their skills with their mates on the same team. Had Dan not been there that evening, I probably wouldn't be writing this post.

One very important thing to remember is that you must apply the maneuver forcefully, as if you might inflict pain or damage. That is the only way the airway will be forceably cleared and eject the blocking item.

Yes, I join other posters in expressing my condolences...indeed a horrible way to go. May the poor fellow RIP.

People should take a minute and show this vid to their friends , spouses , bf , gf and anyone they know who works in a restaurant. It's a great lifesaver and I'm surprised at how many people don't know about it especially here in LOS.

[lucifer666]

No one knew the Heimlich manouver ??. Even as a child at school we were taught this. Ahh, Alex8912, you beat me to it

[belg]

CPR or Heimlich manouver anyone?

TIT & RIP

Edited February 9, 2014 by belg

[Rionoir]

The police collected the food scraps that were left in the dish of food for evidence.

<deleted>?

[smotherb]

Dead for an hour?? No one who could administer first aid in the vicinity?

Pointless questions it seems.

Maybe they did and it failed. Aren't you able to think things through properly?

Don't quite understand why JJ is getting so many complaints. Choking to death in public is rather unusual, because others around do usually help. The article mentioned no help and JJ even said it seemed a pointless question--either they did help but he still died or they did not help. It appears JJ simply wrote down his thoughts.

[smotherb]

CPR or Heimlich manouver anyone?

TIT & RIP

Better watch it belg, the censorship vigilantes will be after you like they are Jiu-Jitsu

[smotherb]

Dead for an hour?? No one who could administer first aid in the vicinity?

Pointless questions it seems.

Maybe they did and it failed. Aren't you able to think things through properly?

I can guarantee a darn sight better than you. It states that they rushed to the scene, but yet he had been dead for a hour.

Your guarantee? It seems prudent to think one of the restaurant bystanders may have tried to help before the police and doctor got there an hour after death. However, the article does not say.

[Seelow]

One very important thing to remember is that you must apply the maneuver forcefully, as if you might inflict pain or damage. That is the only way the airway will be forceably cleared and eject the blocking item.

Yes, I join other posters in expressing my condolences...indeed a horrible way to go. May the poor fellow RIP.

One very important thing to remember is to chew your food properly, and not gulp it down like an animal!

[PoorSucker]

Dead for an hour?? No one who could administer first aid in the vicinity?

Pointless questions it seems.

Maybe they did and it failed. Aren't you able to think things through properly?

I can guarantee a darn sight better than you. It states that they rushed to the scene, but yet he had been dead for a hour.

Apparently you do not know the distance between Koh Samui hospital and Lamai.

[John 1]

I think everyone is plucking at straw's. I've been given CPR and other life saving instruction's and in the situation I would expect I could help. Now think about this a man weighing 110kg collapse's on the floor chocking and a Thai or a Foreigner weighing 55kg what chance do you think they would have to put there arm's around this guy and be of any use, none what so ever. A lot of instruction's using a dummy are not feasible.

Edited February 9, 2014 by John 1

[BigC]

It might not been bad food

I cannot count how many times I have had food stuck in my throat and thrown up or choke

It might be a condition as it is horrible when it happens it feels like drowning

If on the other hand I could not be sick or I swallow my sick then I could be allot worse off

It is really nasty first I drink water to wash down the food but the food is blocking my throat then the water gets struck then I know that I am in trouble for the next hours as after I have been sick the food stays in my throat all I can do is wait for it to go down naturally and cannot eat or drink

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[PoorSucker]

It is really nasty first I drink water to wash down the food but the food is blocking my throat then the water gets struck then I know that I am in trouble for the next hours as after I have been sick the food stays in my throat all I can do is wait for it to go down naturally and cannot eat or drink

You should see a doctor it could be gastroesophageal reflux.

I use Omeprazole for that.

Try Miracid from your pharmacist, costs 120 baht for 14 capsules.

[susquosh]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-26105742

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[laobali]

For what it's worth, I have had quite a few choking/unable to breathe in incidents which began when I arrived in SE Asia. My windpipe constricts after swallowing. Most often it is a small piece of fresh green chilli in the dish. I normally remove whatever I can see on the plate (and avoid dishes with fresh green chilli if possible). But it can happen at other times, even waking up in the night choking. Coughing makes it worse as more air is expelled from the lungs and I cannot breathe in. It's frightening and panic occurs. Somehow recovery comes naturally, but it's not nice.

I have now learned to force myself to focus on relaxing the throat muscle when this occurs. Then I am able to slowly take in air. Eventually the spasm passes and I can breathe in and out normally. The itchiness remains for a while and then coughing and drinking water helps. The answer seems to be: relax.

[bangon04]

Dead for an hour?? No one who could administer first aid in the vicinity?

Pointless questions it seems.

Maybe they did and it failed. Aren't you able to think things through properly?

I can guarantee a darn sight better than you. It states that they rushed to the scene, but yet he had been dead for a hour.

The police in such stories always "rush" to inspect the scene. The word "rush" doesn't have the same meaning in this context........

[Fore Man]

One very important thing to remember is that you must apply the maneuver forcefully, as if you might inflict pain or damage. That is the only way the airway will be forceably cleared and eject the blocking item.

Yes, I join other posters in expressing my condolences...indeed a horrible way to go. May the poor fellow RIP.

One very important thing to remember is to chew your food properly, and not gulp it down like an animal!

Absolutely spot on advice; thanks for bringing it up and it could save somebody's life out there reading it if heeded.