Norwegian tourist fatally injured by speed boat rotors near Koh Tao

[webfact]

Norwegian tourist fatally injured by speed boat rotors

KOH SAMUI: -- A Norwegian tourist was fatally injured by a speed boat's rotors when she came to the surface after scuba diving near Koh Tao in Surat Thani Monday afternoon.

The tourist was identified as Silji Macdison, 22. The rotors hit her head and left leg. She died while the authorities were trying to send her a hospital on Koh Samui.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Norwegian-tourist-fatally-injured-by-speed-boat-ro-30250400.html


-- The Nation 2014-12-22

[Tropicalevo]

RIP young lady.

Such a sad loss so young.

[Just1Voice]

Koh Tao - quickly becoming the Island of Death.

[Briggsy]

One wonders why the engine was on.

[clockman]

Never mention safety, and Thai. In the same breath.

[robertthebruce]

Safety in any shape or form in ''Thailand'' just does not happen..

Third World Country.... says it all..

poor girl..

horrible death...

[khunPer]

Very tragic...

However, I wonder why some is out in a speedboat and diving near Koh Tao today in this weather...?

[Katipo]

Poor girl, and so sad for her family.

[samuilongtime]

Tragic waste of a young life,Rip

I am surprised there hasn't been more accidents like this,

when my family were over we went on day trip to national

park,there must have bee 30 plus speedboats idling in the

water with over a. 100 people snorkelling,the boats were leaving

At different times and were way to close to the swimmers when

departing the reef.

[steve187]

removed

good to see caring people are still here on TV

A waste of a young life

[Lite Beer]

Norwegian tourist fatally injured in Koh Tao diving accident

Photo: propellersafety.com

A Norwegian tourist was fatally injured while scuba diving when she was hit by the propeller of a passing boat near Koh Tao in Thailand’s southern province of Surat Thani on December 22, according to local police.

The Norwegian woman, identified as Silji Macdison, 22, sustained severe cuts to the head and on her left thigh as she was surfacing in shallow waters just off Koh Tao around 2.30 pm.

A rescue team, with emergency medical services personnel, rushed to the scene of accident but could not save her life.

According to police, Macdison was undergoing scuba diving course under supervision from an instructor from Scuba Junction diving school.

Natakorn Meekwan, 23, the captain of the boat was arrested for recklessness causing death. The boat was carrying a group of scuba divers when the accident took place.

The body of Macdison was being held at Koh Tao health clinic pending an autopsy to be performed at Surat Thani hospital.

--ScandAsia.com 2014-12-22

[CharlieH]

moronic comment removed

[delgarcon]

Copied from the Scuba Junction website.

"Safety and Quality first ….with an eco friendly touch" is our motto.

All our dive groups (courses and fun dives) are limited to maximum 4 divers to ensure close supervision and a more enjoyable time under water.

This poor young girl was entitled to the supervision and safety that she paid for and instead she died through lack of it. The tragedy is even more useless as we all know that after a few days she will be forgotten and it will be business as usual for the incompetents that run the water sports in this country.

R.I.P. Silji.

[sweatalot]

Tragic waste of a young life,Rip

I am surprised there hasn't been more accidents like this,

when my family were over we went on day trip to national

park,there must have bee 30 plus speedboats idling in the

water with over a. 100 people snorkelling,the boats were leaving

At different times and were way to close to the swimmers when

departing the reef.

" am surprised there hasn't been more accidents like this,"

probably have been - but all under the carpet

[Wilsonandson]

R.I.P Another tragic accident near koh tao. What bad luck this beautiful paradise has had this year. My thoughts go out to the family of the deseased and the islanders who must ne in disbelief as another tragedy happens. Happy New Year 2015 koh tao it can't be worse than 2014. Can it?

[webfact]

Norwegian girl dies after hitting rotor blades on return to water surface after scuba diving



KOH TAO: -- A 22-year-old Norwegian scuba diver was killed after floating to the water surface and was hit on the head by the rotor blades of a passing speedboat.

The incident happened Monday afternoon near Koh Tao in Surat Thani.

She was identified as Silji Macdison.

She received serious cuts on the head and legs when she was rescued from the sea.

But she died shortly afterwards before being sent to hospital in Samui.

Meanwhile 13 German tourists and Thai guides were rescued on Sunday morning when the small cruise boat they were on hit a rock and became stuck fast on it.

The incident took place near Leam Ka Yai Beach in Rawai.

Rawai deputy mayor Theerepong Taodang said that he was told by people from the Sea Gypsy village in Rawai that the two-deck boat, Electric Blue, had collided with the rock, cracking the hull.

The boat was heeling over to one side, he said, and those aboard were afraid it was going to sink.

Three long-tail boats and Rawai municipal rescuers in a dinghy were able to bring all the tourists safely to shore but the boat remained jammed on the rock.

Boonpeng Hanfalien, 42, a Thai passenger, said she had chartered Electric Blue on December 19 from Chalong pier to take her and 11 German friends to look at coral and to fish at Koh Hey, Koh Racha and Koh Phi Phi for three days and two nights.

But the incident happened Sunday about one kilometre from Rawai pier in the early hours after the boat had left Phi Phi and was heading toward Chalong pier.

The captain steered the boat close to shore and it hit the rock, which damaged the bottom of the boat, she added.

(Photo : Google Maps)

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/norwegian-girl-dies-hitting-rotor-blades-return-water-surface-scuba-diving


-- Thai PBS 2014-12-23

[webfact]

Norwegian tourist dies in a boat accident while diving
Suwannee Bundisak
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A Norwegian tourist was fatally injured by a boat propeller blade while diving off Koh Tao in Surat Thani's Koh Pha Ngan district yesterday.

The 22-year-old tourist, Silje Fauskerud Mathisen, was pronounced dead on the way to a medical facility, said Pol Captain Chakkapong Kaewkhao of Koh Tao Police Station. The tourist's body would undergo autopsy while police investigate the incident and interview the boat's driver, Nathakorn Meekwan, 23, and her diving instructor. Nathakown was initially charged with reckless driving, causing another's death.

Witnesses told police that the woman was diving in shallow water under the instructor's supervision when the propeller blade of a passing-by boat hit her in the back of head. The boat rushed her to Koh Tao Inter Hospital but she succumbed to the injury.

In the same province, a Russian tourist also died yesterday, after his compatriot was earlier killed by acute decompression sickness during reportedly unauthorised diving at the Ratchaprapa Dam (Chiao Lan) in Ban Ta Khun district on Sunday.

The group of four Russians, who had chartered a boat from Phuket to visit the dam, dived into the 30-metre-deep water. The 46-year-old Dmitry Dokuchave suffered from acute decompression sickness and died at the scene, while his friend Marsym Polejaice was seriously injured and initially rushed to Ban Ta Khun Hospital. Polejaice was pronounced dead yesterday at 1.30am at Surat Thani Hospital.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Norwegian-tourist-dies-in-a-boat-accident-while-di-30250460.html


-- The Nation 2014-12-23

[andygunther]

Horrible death... poor girl..

R I P

I'm always afraid when I'm in the water here too...

[TomYumpoochai]

When shallow diving or near the surface the instructor should first deploy an orange float to show boats that divers are below.

If the float was deployed you then have to rely on passing craft to have a lookout to spot it.

It would appear 1 or both of these safety precautions failed.

[dotpoom]

One wonders why the engine was on.

I took it to mean a passing boat, but your point is well made. ............R.I.P.

[fareastguy]

Business as usual... nothing ever changes in Thailand !

[Bucko]

Sometime ago I see on a tv fishing/diving programme-- that the prop had a safety cage around it--sounds a simple remedy--but I guess it's ALL about " performance + nauticle miles per gallon "--i.e $$$$$'s/ Baht

R.I.P Young Lady---

[bangkokheat]

what a nasty xmas memory the poor girls family are going to have year after year, thailand the hub of clueless morons

[FireMedic]

Well yet another family is informed of their child's death in Thailand..just before Christmas too. I feel bad for them. RIP young lady.

[scubascuba3]

After diving a lot in Thailand I think the two most dangerous things are the dropping of the anchor and the propeller, accidents waiting to happen. I've seen near misses.

[AlQaholic]

When shallow diving or near the surface the instructor should first deploy an orange float to show boats that divers are below.

If the float was deployed you then have to rely on passing craft to have a lookout to spot it.

It would appear 1 or both of these safety precautions failed.

As a diving Instructor in Thailand, I have seen boats running circles around those floats just for fun, not understanding the dangers.

Also I have seen speed boat Captains drive their boats straight through a number of Diving boats anchored and with divers and floats in the surrounding waters.

[jlwilliamsjr18]

Question, when will anyone ever review the credentials of boat pilots?

[monkeycountry]

R.I.P Another tragic accident near koh tao. What bad luck this beautiful paradise has had this year. My thoughts go out to the family of the deseased and the islanders who must ne in disbelief as another tragedy happens. Happy New Year 2015 koh tao it can't be worse than 2014. Can it?

Notice one of the comments above. When you put 30 boats with external propellers and amateur drivers and 100 divers in a small area it cannot be considered bad luck when someone gets killed - it is inevitable. You can however consider it lucky when someone does not get killed.

[monkeycountry]

Soon headline news may be something like this:

"Tourist survives a 2 week holiday on Koh Tao! - full story here"

[SOTIRIOS]

....dumb.....sick.......sh*ts.........

...this is the 99% employment rate they pride themselves on......

...take any jack*ss.........and give them a position and a title........