Russian survives deadly car plunge from cliff in Phuket

PHUKET: -- A Russian man escaped death after his car fell from a clifftop tourist lookout on Phuket and plunged into the sea.
He was rescued last night on rocks off the holiday island’s coast.

Phuket police said the dramatic 250-metre plunge downhill came about 11.30 pm from Pa Dang, the site of Phuket’s only wind-power turbine and a popular leaping spot for paragliders.

The Russian man known only as Nikolai was driving in his Honda Jazz and with unknown cause, the car ran out of the cliff and fell into the sea.

Investigators are waiting for the Russian man to recover so they can question whether he drove off the road by chance or intended to kill himself.

”It’s amazing that this man survived a long drop down the hill into the sea,” a policeman said.

Police said it was unclear yet whether Nikolai was a tourist who misjudged the path down from the wind turbine or an expat down on his luck.

Charity Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation rescuers and local council officers took two dinghies out about 11.30pm last night and found ”Nikolai” in bad condition on a rocky outcrop, but alive.

A fisherman saw and heard the car’s plunge and made a call for help.

Airbags deployed as the car hit the water, the rescuers said.

Meanwhile doctors at Vachira Phuket hospital said the Russian man suffered slight injuries considering the height of the car’s plunge.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/russian-survives-deadly-car-plunge-cliff-phuket


-- Thai PBS 2014-12-19

Nikolai took the instruction to dip his headlights a bit too literally

Russian tourist badly hurt in car plunge off Phuket cliff
Suthicha Sirirat


The steep slope down which the car tumbled. Image Google Street View

PHUKET: -- A Russian tourist is in hospital with head injuries after he lost control of his rented car at 11:30pm last night (December 18) near the wind turbines viewpoint south of Nai Harn Beach.

The red-plate Honda Jazz tumbled 300 metres from the road into the sea.

Nikolai Onoprienov, 29, was flung from the vehicle as it rolled down the cliff and was found by rescuers, battered and semi-conscious, on rocks near the sea.

A police officer at the scene said he Mr Onoprienov was bleeding from his nose and ears and was unable to communicate.

He was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital.

The Jazz ended up in the sea with only one wheel visible above the water. Rawai Municipality and the Tourist Assistance Centre despatched two boats with divers to check whether anyone else was in the car but they found no one.

Police are waiting for Mr Onoprienov to regain consciousness so that they can ask him how the accident happened.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/russian-tourist-badly-hurt-in-car-plunge-off-phuket-cliff-50196.php

-- Phuket News 2014-12-19

Reading the headlines this week I wonder if I live in the Russian Federation already.

Reading the headlines this week I wonder if I live in the Russian Federation already.

Perhaps. Although I think Thailand will be annexed by China first.

Reading the headlines this week I wonder if I live in the Russian Federation already.

Perhaps. Although I think Thailand will be annexed by China first.

Hold on! The ink on that contract signed today is not even dry.

If it was a "deadly car plunge" then he would be dead.

Nice reporting...

Buy Honda Jazz.

Excellent fuel economy. Powered by fuel and wind. Light as a feather. Will even float when in water.

Offer ends Dec 31, 2014.

If it was a "deadly car plunge" then he would be dead.

Nice reporting...

Not where slopes are cliffs!

Good advertising for Honda airbags!

...hope the insurance covers it.......otherwise he may rue his 'good fortune'.....

So it is not only the ruble which is taking a dive?

So it is not only the ruble which is taking a dive?

Perhaps it is BECAUSE of the rouble the Russian took a dive?

He is a very lucky guy.

Picture about the car?

Yes you can see the fall and the car in the sea

Yet another Russian makes the headlines! Are these people crazy or what?

Lets hope he makes a full recovery and can try again

Anyone who has tried driving in Russia knows that a motor vehicle and a Ruskie don't mix well at all. Wouldn't be surprised if pretty soon more of them die holidaying in Thailand than Brits.

Maybe he was a banker...?

But from the pictures, it does look more like a 'roll' down the hill than a 'plunge' from a cliff....

If it was a "deadly car plunge" then he would be dead.

Nice reporting...

Sounds entirely accurate to me. The description of the condition of the Honda certainly indicates that it is very dead.

Reading the headline I expected a vertical drop instead of a slope. Therefore it's not nearly as suprising he survived.

He wouldn't have crashed, but he was . . . . rushin'

Thank you and Goodnight!

Was he Russian, or was he taking his time..

somehow they got the car to Ya Nui beach because i just saw them towing it away. sorry, no pics, but i expect someone will post some. anyhow, the car looked like it had been through a car crusher, how the guy survived, i don't know. wish i'd got the license plate number for next weeks lottery.

300 meters high cliffs?

probably drinking heaps of red bull, thought it gave him wings

Sometimes I go to spearfishing around there.

"Russian survives deadly car plunge from cliff in Phuket"

Further down the article it says he tumbled down a slope .....bit of a difference between that and what the headline says

Sometimes I go to spearfishing around there.

And when I do--------------???????????????

somehow they got the car to Ya Nui beach because i just saw them towing it away. sorry, no pics, but i expect someone will post some. anyhow, the car looked like it had been through a car crusher, how the guy survived, i don't know. wish i'd got the license plate number for next weeks lottery.

He survived because he was not in it - he was thrown clear or more likely jumped the heck out.