German tourist almost killed by jet ski

[MW72]

an unidentified French tourist?

How do they know he is French?

Did he shout merde? Or excusez mois s'il vous plais?

he had a prominent white flag flying and was going in the opposite direction from where the incident occurred ?

Aren't you confusing the French with Italians?

Same Same but different. Both have great wine, great food, great architecture and culture. Just don't ask them to back you up if you get in a scrap.

[smotherb]

an unidentified French tourist?

How do they know he is French?

Did he shout merde? Or excusez mois s'il vous plais?

More likely, "Pour vous Allemand!"

[mango66]

an unidentified French tourist?

How do they know he is French?

Did he shout merde? Or excusez mois s'il vous plais?

he was singing the national hymn and he had the french flag in one hand

and on the other a bottle of hennesy XO !

[Benmart]

I hope the poor man recovers.

This article seems to be a springboard for would-be comics. They are very sad creatures that find sick humour in the misfortune and misery of others.

[lumply]

Make it compulsory for potential holiday makers to have signed up to TV for at least 6 weeks prior to their arriving in LOS. Those who are brave enough to go through with their visit will surely not go anywhere near a jet ski. Now the only problem remaining is implementation. Better stick to plan B and visit The Antarctic.

[cookee68]

Why don't they just section of different parts of the beach

[Thorgal]

Make it compulsory for potential holiday makers to have signed up to TV for at least 6 weeks prior to their arriving in LOS. Those who are brave enough to go through with their visit will surely not go anywhere near a jet ski. Now the only problem remaining is implementation. Better stick to plan B and visit The Antarctic.

Antartic as plan B ? They use snow scooters over there...

Why not implement conus helmets for swimmers as replacemnt for the missing buoys ?

[Thorgal]

Why don't they just section of different parts of the beach

How do you mean ? A French beach part separated from the German one ?

Nice topic for the EU...

[sambum]

an unidentified French tourist?

How do they know he is French?

Did he shout merde? Or excusez mois s'il vous plais?

Unbelievable!

"Phuket:- A 55-year-old German tourist was almost killed Saturday when he was knocked unconscious by a speeding jet ski."

Unbelievable!

"The wife and witnesses told police that Heim was swimming in the sea not far from the beach while the wife was sunbathing on the beach when an unidentified French tourist sped his jet ski to hit Heim in the head and shoulder."

Did you not read the full text of the story?

My apologies! You are correct in that the original post is as you have highlighted above.

However, from a later post - "The witness said the French tourist, identified by police as Mr Chadd Attardi, 20, who hired the jet-ski went straight into the sea and probably didn’t notice Mr Heim swimming when his jet-ski struck Mr Heim on the head."

[jerojero]

Sure wait til he recovers so he can say he doesn't remember what happened as probably hit blind side. Witnesses should be enough to arrest jetski operator, before fleeing the country!

[jacko45k]

an unidentified French tourist?

How do they know he is French?

Did he shout merde? Or excusez mois s'il vous plais?

.

He was wearing a Speedo.

Not a beret and string of onions?

[wellred]

an unidentified French tourist?

How do they know he is French?

Did he shout merde? Or excusez mois s'il vous plais?

.

He was wearing a Speedo.

Not a beret and string of onions?

Don't be ridiculous. He took the beret and onions off before entering the water, obviously.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ChrisY1]

Joke about this incident if you wish, but over the past couple of weeks I have been contacted (in my role as a TPV), by the lifeguards at Kata Beach, Laem Singh Beach and Kamala Beach, all who have requested help from the authorities to control a number of French tourists and French expats who have been riding jetskis in a dangerous manner, close to swimmers and yachts.

Unfortunately (so far), the authorities have failed to act, (despite calls to the 1155 hotline and my calls/enails to my bosses).

Unless idiots like this who ride jetskis without due consideration for swimmers are brought under control, someone is going to get killed.

Why don't you, instead of trying to control them, get the bloody machines banned?

[simon43]

Why don't they just section of different parts of the beach

The problem is that not all beaches in Phuket allow jetskis. Those beaches where jetskis are banned have no sectioned area for swimmers - the whole beach is available for swimmers because there are no jetskis.

But on a number of occasions, French tourists (don't know why, but they are always French tourists), have rented jetskis at other beaches and then ridden them round to the jetski-free beach, thus causing major risks to swimmers.

Why don't you, instead of trying to control them, get the bloody machines banned?

I'm not sure of the meaning of 'you' in your statement. If by 'you', you mean 'me', then it is rather unlikely that as a mere TPV 'foot-soldier', I can persuade my Thai police bosses to ban the jetskis.

It is difficult enough to get them to do anything, unless there is a PR photo-opportunity....

[oneday]

Young cowboys and jet-skies, in a country with very little safety in mind...always a bad combination.

[Banzai99]

"the French tourist, identified by police as Mr Chadd Attardi"

Is Chadd Attardi a common French name ???

Are you still living in the 50s ?

If you hadn't noticed yet, many citizens of many countries have names that were once not common to said country.

Wake up...

This is ThaiVisa Carlos, most are living in the 30's and 40's, and most of the younger members were born old.

[Alwyn]

The mere prescence of jet skis in the water tells me that this is a beach for morons.

No need to post a warning sign, 555

Really? Did you actually read the article. <quote>Mr Attardi was with six friends when they left the jet-ski zone, which only allows them to stay within Patong. They ended up in Paradise Beach in the Tri Trang area, breaking the regulations.<end quote> The guy went to a beach where jetskis are not allowed and got hit by a jetski that had left Patong and the jetski zone. Engage brain before writing.

[sawadee1947]

German man hit by jet-ski at Paradise Beach in Phuket

Eakkapop Thongtub

The German man is currently in hospital after being struck by a jet-ski.

PHUKET: A 55-year-old German man was rushed to hospital yesterday (February 28) after he was hit by a jet-ski at Paradise Beach, five kilometres away from Patong.

At 1:30pm, Kusoldharm rescuers were called to the scene where they found the foreigner, Mr Erich Heim, passed out on the beach, with his head bleeding.

The team treated him with first aid and immediately took him to Patong Hospital, but was later transferred to Bangkok Hospital Phuket.

A witness at the scene said Mr Heim went for a swim not far from the shore, while his German wife was sunbathing on the beach.

The witness said the French tourist, identified by police as Mr Chadd Attardi, 20, who hired the jet-ski went straight into the sea and probably didn’t notice Mr Heim swimming when his jet-ski struck Mr Heim on the head.

Mr Attardi was with six friends when they left the jet-ski zone, which only allows them to stay within Patong. They ended up in Paradise Beach in the Tri Trang area, breaking the regulations.

Police are waiting for Mr Heim to make a full recovery, before they will investigate the matter.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/german-man-hit-by-jet-ski-at-paradise-beach-in-phuket-51210.php

-- Phuket News 2015-03-01

Hopefully they will publish this accident in German Newspapers or even in TV news just to give a warning to come to LOS.

[DrDave]

Joke about this incident if you wish, but over the past couple of weeks I have been contacted (in my role as a TPV), by the lifeguards at Kata Beach, Laem Singh Beach and Kamala Beach, all who have requested help from the authorities to control a number of French tourists and French expats who have been riding jetskis in a dangerous manner, close to swimmers and yachts.

Unfortunately (so far), the authorities have failed to act, (despite calls to the 1155 hotline and my calls/enails to my bosses).

Unless idiots like this who ride jetskis without due consideration for swimmers are brought under control, someone is going to get killed.

Saw a very near-miss today at Kata beach.

A couple of idiots screaming along parallel to the shore and only maybe 25 meters from the waterline - lots of swimmers in the shallow water there (shallow enough to stand up with water only chest-high). These two idiots swerved slightly to avoid the first group of swimmers, then saw a few more dead ahead and made a hard turn to avoid hitting them, dumping both of them off the jetski, within just a few meters of the swimmers. They scrambled to get back on the jetski, and sped out to sea as fast as they could, obviously knowing they did something seriously wrong. I was so shocked, and it happened so quickly, I didn't have time to get my phone out to video what had happened.

My question to SImon is - if someone gets a video of reckless behavior like this, is there somewhere it can be sent for follow-up? Or, does one more person have to be killed before the authorities do something?

[TomYumpoochai]

They are not "skis" as previously pointed out they are "motor bikes" which travel on water.On the road you need a licence and be a competent driver.

Why should it be different for jet skiers ?

I realise that this might mean the total demise of the industry ,wouldn't that be a sad day

Why are there sooo many dicks on this forum???

"Theyre motor bikes" you havnt got a single clue what youre talking about. Ill guess you've never ridden either so just stick to watching your small bottle of chang get warm and type "quality tourists" to every thread just like all the other know it alls but dont know jack shit.

[PaPiPuPePo]

They are not "skis" as previously pointed out they are "motor bikes" which travel on water.On the road you need a licence and be a competent driver.

Why should it be different for jet skiers ?

I realise that this might mean the total demise of the industry ,wouldn't that be a sad day

Why are there sooo many dicks on this forum???

"Theyre motor bikes" you havnt got a single clue what youre talking about. Ill guess you've never ridden either so just stick to watching your small bottle of chang get warm and type "quality tourists" to every thread just like all the other know it alls but dont know jack shit.

Considering the rest of your post, your initial question's pretty ironic!

The engines on these things run 600-800cc, mostly. They weigh about as much as a bike. They're powerful and accelerate quickly, like a motorbike, with the flip of a wrist. So, like motorbikes, they bring out the worst behaviour in men (almost always) who can't control their right wrists, the kind who's egos get pumped up when they purchase some temporary power over others, whether that be dousing people with ice-cold water during Songkhran far beyond what's fun, or strutting about like a player because they bought a "girlfriend," or riding around like macho-man on their 250 dirt-bikes or bigger street bikes.

Those of us who've been around the block a few times (and ridden bikes more than a few times) have seen these pseudo-cowboys a hundred times and 99 of those they're being a-holes one way or another; half the time they're putting people in danger. That behaviour should be stopped, period. So calling people dicks who find this behaviour objectionable (that is, mature adults) is kind of a hard POV to educate, maybe you'll get hit by some guy on a jet ski someday and you'll see the light, or maybe just lights!

Edited March 3, 2015 by PaPiPuPePo

[simon43]

My question to SImon is - if someone gets a video of reckless behavior like this, is there somewhere it can be sent for follow-up?

IMHO, if you want someone with the authority to act on this, then probably the best place to send it is YouTube.

[Tomtomtom69]

Joke about this incident if you wish, but over the past couple of weeks I have been contacted (in my role as a TPV), by the lifeguards at Kata Beach, Laem Singh Beach and Kamala Beach, all who have requested help from the authorities to control a number of French tourists and French expats who have been riding jetskis in a dangerous manner, close to swimmers and yachts.

Unfortunately (so far), the authorities have failed to act, (despite calls to the 1155 hotline and my calls/enails to my bosses).

Unless idiots like this who ride jetskis without due consideration for swimmers are brought under control, someone is going to get killed.

There's an easy solution: either ban the rental of jet skis, allow them only to ride in specific zones and/or the best one would be only allow licenced riders, who can demonstrate they know how to ride one, to even be able to rent in the first place.

Tourists are banned from renting motorcycles, for example, in a number of Thailand's neighboring countries including parts of Myanmar and Siem Reap in Cambodia. Why can't Thailand consider doing the same for both jet skis and motorcycles?