Norwegian tourist fatally injured by speed boat rotors near Koh Tao

[scubascuba3]

“Safety procedures are sloppy everywhere.”
 
The good mayor of Koh Tao, Khun Chaiyan Turasakal will get very cranky indeed if he reads that comment.
 
He routinely blames all tourists for their own tragedies just because he can point to some examples of tourists who act recklessly.
 
Rule No 1. It’s the tourists’ fault.
 
Rule No 2. When it’s not the tourists’ fault refer back to Rule No 1.
 
 

What's the equivalent of a public enquiry in Thailand. Clearly safety standards need to be improved. When i was on Koh Tao as a divemaster (19 years ago) there were occasions when crew would throw the Anchor off without looking for any divers below and other risky manoeuvres. I'd say responsibility is with whoever is in charge that day plus shop owner.

[Spectator2020]

 

14 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

20 minutes ago, Spectator2020 said:

“Safety procedures are sloppy everywhere.”
 
The good mayor of Koh Tao, Khun Chaiyan Turasakal will get very cranky indeed if he reads that comment.
 
He routinely blames all tourists for their own tragedies just because he can point to some examples of tourists who act recklessly.
 
Rule No 1. It’s the tourists’ fault.
 
Rule No 2. When it’s not the tourists’ fault refer back to Rule No 1.
 
 

What's the equivalent of a public enquiry in Thailand. Clearly safety standards need to be improved. When i was on Koh Tao as a divemaster (19 years ago) there were occasions when crew would throw the Anchor off without looking for any divers below and other risky manoeuvres. I'd say responsibility is with whoever is in charge that day plus shop owner.

Hell.

 

Such a reckless mindset.

Edited January 29, 2018 by Spectator2020

[balo]

Its very simple really , the parents and lawyer have asked Scotland Yard to track down Ricky Collins , he is probably hiding in the UK.  he need to stand trial in Thailand,  with the driver of the boat. 

 

Someone has to do their job here to get justice for Silje. 

 

 

 

 

[Spectator2020]

3 hours ago, balo said:

Its very simple really , the parents and lawyer have asked Scotland Yard to track down Ricky Collins , he is probably hiding in the UK.  he need to stand trial in Thailand,  with the driver of the boat. 

 

Someone has to do their job here to get justice for Silje. 

 

 

 

 

It looks like a complete mess to me.

 

Who knows how this terrible saga will unfold?

 

Scotland Yard will be under no obligation to assist Norwegian parents or their Norwegian lawyer regardless of how nicely they might ask.

 

Ricky Collins might not be “hiding” in the UK but living and working without necessarily advertising his whereabouts.

 

His old Facebook page says he went to school in Arkansas so he could be in the USA or anywhere else in the world for that matter.

 

Regardless of whether Scotland Yard or anyone else tracks down Ricky Collins it is up to the Thai police to extradite him.

 

According to comments in the Dagbladet newspaper article the Norwegian Government maintains that it has no jurisdiction but that the Thais do.

 

At this stage Ricky Collins has not publicly given his version of events.  It can be premature to assume that he was negligent and responsible in whole or in part for the accident.

 

Simply because someone has been charged by the Thai police it does not mean they are guilty, even if comments from Sigrid Simensen seen damning.

 

Two or more people could share responsibility including Ricky as divemaster, the boat driver, the apprentice and even Silje Mathisen  if she did not follow safety instructions (if any).  As scubascuba3 said the diving school could also share responsibility.

 

In addition, the Koh Tao culture of carelessness can be said to be a broader cause of the accident.  The people in positions of responsibility don’t seem to do much to ensure that risky habits are stamped out.

Edited January 29, 2018 by Spectator2020

[Scott]

A post to a foreign language site has been removed.  

[Spectator2020]

The Thai lawyer acting for the parents of Silje Mathisen has just quit only two weeks prior to the trial listed for 13 February.

 

Plenty of uncertainty.

[wakeupplease]

On 12/22/2014 at 10:04 AM, webfact said:

Koh Samui

Again, come to Thailand for a once in a lifetime holiday and we will send you home in a bodybag. Umm

[Spectator2020]

9 minutes ago, wakeupplease said:

Again, come to Thailand for a once in a lifetime holiday and we will send you home in a bodybag. Umm

Preferably we will cremate you in Thailand so you won’t get a proper autopsy at home that contradicts what was written in our police reports.

 

We will ensure that we blame you for your own death. You committed suicide or you were drunk. Right?

 

Don’t worry that it looks like a Thai killed you. That’s just a misunderstanding. Silly you. 

 

The world will forget about you soon enough even if you family is traumatised every day. Mai pen rai. Never mind.

[wakeupplease]

Just now, Spectator2020 said:

Preferably we will cremate you in Thailand so you won’t get a proper autopsy at home that contradicts what was written in our police reports.

 

We will ensure that we blame you for your own death. You committed suicide or you were drunk. Right?

 

Don’t worry that it looks like a Thai killed you. That’s just a misunderstanding. Silly you. 

 

The world will forget about you soon enough even if you family is traumatised every day. Mai pen rai. Never mind.

Hey boy wonder not a chance unless you get on a plane. But you have not got the guts to do that, go and read a superman comic and cool off or have a ?

[Spectator2020]

On 25/12/2014 at 9:11 PM, kaobang said:

"The incident happened in the late noon at the diving location called Tao Tong (Golden Turtle). This location can be visited only 1 month per year during the monsoon season. This is why, there were a lot of divers there than usual during the monsoon season. The cause of accident came from the diving boat owned by Pura Vida diving school. Their boat was too big for the spot which is only 3 meter deep. Their boat's depth alone is already 2 meter in depth. That's why, it's was very easy for the propeller to hit unsuspected divers. The owner of Pura Vida are 2 Spanish guys named Zigor and Oscar. These 2 never attended diving operators safety meeting in Koh Tao."

It would be good to know where the quote comes from.

 

I did not know anything about the owners of Pura Vida or whether they attended a safety meeting on Koh Tao or anywhere else.

 

The other information seems to be correct though.

 

Pura Vida seems to have diving schools in a few places around the globe.  It would be difficult to imagine a  boat driver being involved in a similar stupid accident in the Florida branch of Pura Vida Diving.  Florida lawyers and all the regulators would be chasing huge damages and fines immediately.

 

 

[balo]

Feel sorry for the parents , they have actually paid more than 500000 baht to this law company "Scandinavian Law Office" based in Bangkok. Not sure about this company at all, a Norwegian lawyer is working there.

Instead they should have  looked for the best lawyers in Thailand with contacts straight to the top .  3 years and these lawyers have done nothing. 

 

[H1w4yR1da]

On 12/22/2014 at 5:18 PM, Just1Voice said:

Koh Tao - quickly becoming the Island of Death.

Becoming?
It already is.

I still can't believe tourists still visit this mafia infested place.

[yogavnture]

On ‎1‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 12:17 AM, Spectator2020 said:

It looks like a complete mess to me.

 

Who knows how this terrible saga will unfold?

 

Scotland Yard will be under no obligation to assist Norwegian parents or their Norwegian lawyer regardless of how nicely they might ask.

 

Ricky Collins might not be “hiding” in the UK but living and working without necessarily advertising his whereabouts.

 

His old Facebook page says he went to school in Arkansas so he could be in the USA or anywhere else in the world for that matter.

 

Regardless of whether Scotland Yard or anyone else tracks down Ricky Collins it is up to the Thai police to extradite him.

 

According to comments in the Dagbladet newspaper article the Norwegian Government maintains that it has no jurisdiction but that the Thais do.

 

At this stage Ricky Collins has not publicly given his version of events.  It can be premature to assume that he was negligent and responsible in whole or in part for the accident.

 

Simply because someone has been charged by the Thai police it does not mean they are guilty, even if comments from Sigrid Simensen seen damning.

 

Two or more people could share responsibility including Ricky as divemaster, the boat driver, the apprentice and even Silje Mathisen  if she did not follow safety instructions (if any).  As scubascuba3 said the diving school could also share responsibility.

 

In addition, the Koh Tao culture of carelessness can be said to be a broader cause of the accident.  The people in positions of responsibility don’t seem to do much to ensure that risky habits are stamped out.

if thats the case he might be in usa. if so the us authorities will help track him down.

[yogavnture]

it would be quite interesting to ask other dive masters in ko tao what they think about this situation.  at the very minimum i think that dive shop should have been shut down. they could always open a new one in a new location whats the name of the dive shop ? i will go by thier and ask them about this incident. and report thier response

[yogavnture]

im on ko tao now. what can i do to help. go harass the dive shop?

[yogavnture]

total injustice. the Norwegian gal gets cut up by propeller by people being negligent and they walk away scot free. UNFAIR.  can someone tell what happened exactly and in short form so we know exactly what happened>?  from what i can tell the girls basically got run over

[Spectator2020]

3 minutes ago, yogavnture said:

it would be quite interesting to ask other dive masters in ko tao what they think about this situation.  at the very minimum i think that dive shop should have been shut down. they could always open a new one in a new location whats the name of the dive shop ? i will go by thier and ask them about this incident. and report thier response

Scuba Junction located on Sairee Beach was the diving school that Silje Mathisen was taking lessons with.  Ricky Collins was the divemaster.  There does not seem to be any information on who the two apprentices were.  It might be that Silje's friend, Sigrid Simensen had her life saved by one of the apprentices.  There might be one hero to emerge from this dreadful story. 

 

Pura Vida Diving were the operators of the boat that killed Silje.  Nathakorn Meekwan (23) was driving.

[yogavnture]

1 minute ago, Spectator2020 said:

Scuba Junction located on Sairee Beach was the diving school that Silje Mathisen was taking lessons with.  Ricky Collins was the divemaster.  There does not seem to be any information on who the two apprentices were.  It might be that Silje's friend, Sigrid Simensen had her life saved by one of the apprentices.  There might be one hero to emerge from this dreadful story. 

 

Pura Vida Diving were the operators of the boat that killed Silje.  Nathakorn Meekwan (23) was driving.

what caused the fatal error?  so you are saying one person died. the other got chopped but was saved.?

 

[yogavnture]

Just now, yogavnture said:

what caused the fatal error?  so you are saying one person died. the other got chopped but was saved.?

 

wouldn't thier be bubbles below?  especially if the people were so shallow as to get chopped by blades?  wouldn't a 4 year old know to stay away from the bubble area?

[Spectator2020]

Dagbladet news is the best place to get information about the accident because they have an account from Silje's friend Sigrid.

 

Only one person was killed namely Silje Mathisen.

 

An apprentice pulled Sigrid Simensen down low enough to avoid the boat and propeller.

 

In the picture Silje is on the left and Sigrid is on the right.  The picture was taken outside the Scuba Junction Diving office on Sairee Beach.  The picture was published by the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet, which published two articles in January.  It is best to read both.

[Spectator2020]

59 minutes ago, yogavnture said:

wouldn't thier be bubbles below?  especially if the people were so shallow as to get chopped by blades?  wouldn't a 4 year old know to stay away from the bubble area?

According to Sigrid, there were two students under water with the two apprentices so there should have been four streams of bubbles in the immediate vicinity.

 

According to her the divemaster had left the immediate vicinity and she lost sight of him.

 

At this stage we have Sigrid's side of the story and not much else.  We have not heard the divemaster's side of the story or the boat master's explanations.

 

We are told that PADI kicked the divemaster out of their association, which might seem a bit convenient for them as they don't seem to have done much to prevent these sorts of accidents around Koh Tao.

[yogavnture]

Scuba junction is still  thier? wouldn't they close down ? did all the employees involved leave?

[yogavnture]

in my country usa their would be a huge lawsuit. but im sure nobody at fault has any money. from what you say thier were two beginners with APPRENTICEs.  that isnt right?  if they were newbies shouldn't the boss be around to ensure their safety?  i assume the gal died immediately. ?  or was she alive when they got her to land?

[yogavnture]

22 hours ago, yogavnture said:

what caused the fatal error?  so you are saying one person died. the other got chopped but was saved.?

 

isnt the divemaster on site ultimately responsible ? for the newbies lives?  if he is in usa i would find him and sue him

[scubascuba3]

in my country usa their would be a huge lawsuit. but im sure nobody at fault has any money. from what you say thier were two beginners with APPRENTICEs.  that isnt right?  if they were newbies shouldn't the boss be around to ensure their safety?  i assume the gal died immediately. ?  or was she alive when they got her to land?

You seem quite animated about it, you should lobby the govt to increase safety standards, I'll leave it with you

[yogavnture]

where is ricky collins. he is American.?  i would find that dude and get this sorted out.  he is responsible. i want to hear his story. dont let him off hook if it takes 20 years. i would hire a private investigator to find that guy

[evadgib]

Just now, yogavnture said:

if he is in usa i would find him and sue him

No you wouldn't.

[yogavnture]

Just now, scubascuba3 said:

8 minutes ago, yogavnture said:

in my country usa their would be a huge lawsuit. but im sure nobody at fault has any money. from what you say thier were two beginners with APPRENTICEs.  that isnt right?  if they were newbies shouldn't the boss be around to ensure their safety?  i assume the gal died immediately. ?  or was she alive when they got her to land?

You seem quite animated about it, you should lobby the govt to increase safety standards, I'll leave it with you

its not the govt. its padi. they fired the guy and ran away from issue

[yogavnture]

2 minutes ago, evadgib said:

No you wouldn't.

if i knew her was her boyfriend or her family i would for sure. justice must be served. she trusted her life with the thugs. and she got chopped. unacceptable i would be very wary of any dive shop on ko tao especially on sairee beach. go by half the shops in the afternoon. they are smoking and getting drunk. not professional. 

[yogavnture]

22 hours ago, yogavnture said:

if thats the case he might be in usa. if so the us authorities will help track him down.

what nationality is ricky Collins? is he a brit?  if so i would assume that the brits would help locate him and get his side of story