Diving safety rules to be enforced on Koh Tao after Briton struck by boat

[webfact]

Diving Safety Rules to be Enforced on Koh Tao After Briton Struck by Boat
By Khaosod English


Rescue workers bring a 20-year-old tourist who was struck by a boat turbine to a hospital on Koh Samui, 9 June 2015.

SURAT THANI — Authorities on the southern island of Koh Tao have promised to enforce safety regulations after a British tourist was severely injured by boat’s propellers while she was diving off the coast of the island two days ago.

The boat’s rotor almost severed the 20-year-old woman’s leg, but rescue workers swiftly brought her to hospital on Koh Samui island, where she is now recovering.

The incident has spurred local police to inspect boat companies and diving instructors on the island to ensure that they are meeting safety standards and possess proper licenses, said Pol.Lt.Col. Thanakorn Pattananankaew, an officer of Tourism Police on the nearby Koh Samui island, which also oversees jurisdiction of Koh Tao.

He also advised tourists to only to dive with companies that are properly licensed, such as Scuba Shark, the outfit that the British tourist was with at the time.

"That way, if unexpected incidents happen, the instructors can rescue you and solve the problems in time," said Pol.Lt.Col. Thanakorn.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1434006750


-- Khaosod English 2015-06-11

[oldsailor35]

No mention of the boat captain who "ran away"

[IamNoone88]

"He also advised tourists to only to dive with companies that are properly licensed, such as Scuba Shark, the outfit that the British tourist was with at the time."

Didn't seem to stop her getting her leg sliced did it???

Safety Rules to be Enforced - As usual, another prime example of shutting the gate after the horse has bolted.

[razer]

Why is it always after an accident or death, the authorities vow safety rules/laws will be enforced?

[carmine]

It will be a huge, but nonetheless pleasant surprise if safety rules are "enforced"....whatever that actually means here. Another "crackdown" perhaps....

[Basil B]

"He also advised tourists to only to dive with companies that are properly licensed, such as Scuba Shark, the outfit that the British tourist was with at the time."

Didn't seem to stop her getting her leg sliced did it???

Safety Rules to be Enforced - As usual, another prime example of shutting the gate after the horse has bolted.

They do not even close the stable door, just say they are....

More Jaw-Jaw, empty words that will be forgotten tomorrow.

[cumgranosalum]

It'd be nice if for once rules had been enforced BEFORE an accident or tragedy had happened - after all, that's what they're for aren't they?

[RIC23]

As an owner of a diving company, all of us in this community hope that she has a speedy recovery

Accidents happen in all walks of life, I don't know the full story other than what I read here.

It looks as though she may have been run over by a speed boat, if the captain of that boat did indeed do a runner

We take certified divers in pairs accompanied by a qualified Dive master to dive and novice divers with a fully qualified Instructor.

all the time when we surface we use marker bouys inflated and released upwards from the bottom and do not surface straight away

we do what is known as a decompression stop, even with novices, to teach them the correct safety procedures.

Obviously in this situation something has gone wrong

Don't be so quick to make STUPID assertions without knowing the circumstances

[coulson]

''The incident has spurred local police to inspect boat companies and diving instructors on the island''

How about across Thailand!

[Johnnie99]

So once again, the operative word is 'after'.

'After' the man was hurt, 'after' the bus crashed, 'after' the van overturned, 'after' 20 children were killed ...

Then the rules are enforced.

[cumgranosalum]

Presumably there are dive buoys on the surface and other boats are not allowed within so many meters of those buoys.

it would seem in this instant either diver or boat was in the wrong place?

[nakhonandy]

As a diving instructor associated with a respectable Dive company it seems to me they are approaching this the wrong way.

99% of qualified instructors/divemasters always follow safety procedures.

In my experience boat/jet ski drivers do not.

That is where they should be looking!

[torpedo1970]

So once again, the operative word is 'after'.

'After' the man was hurt, 'after' the bus crashed, 'after' the van overturned, 'after' 20 children were killed ...

Then the rules are enforced.

And only for a few days to the whole thing have blown over and we can go back to our old ways....

Mai pen rai

TIT

[Oziex1]

So once again, the operative word is 'after'.

'After' the man was hurt, 'after' the bus crashed, 'after' the van overturned, 'after' 20 children were killed ...

Then the rules are enforced.

No they are not enforced, which is why repeats of these easily remedied incidents are ongoing.

[Basil B]

Having read a lot on this with many conflicting stories...

But I am of the conclusion this was a speed boat reversing into divers on the surface, more a boat handling issue, unfortunately also reported the offending boat was owned and operated by a local dive centre, this concerns me because the boat crew should have known to very careful around divers.

Just to point out I have done well over 300 dives mostly in Thailand and most without incident, and I am still alive today with all limbs intact.

[coulson]

As a diving instructor associated with a respectable Dive company it seems to me they are approaching this the wrong way.

99% of qualified instructors/divemasters always follow safety procedures.

In my experience boat/jet ski drivers do not.

That is where they should be looking!

I don't entirely agree with that statement. How are police supposed to realistically get boat captains/ fishermen and jetski users to abide by diving etiquette?

I'm sorry, but the responsibility is with the dive master to ensure a surface marker is deployed and in turn with the help of the surface crew, manage a safe environment for the group coming up. That includes identifying potential hazards or reckless behaviour.

You said 99% follow safety procedures? Quite right....that 1% is all it takes.

[soalbundy]

''The incident has spurred local police to inspect boat companies and diving instructors on the island''

How about across Thailand!

Why bother, the crackdown will only last a week if that

[Tidybeard]

I have been diving around Koh Tao many times and the companies who run the operations don't use the marker buoys there at all. To be fair there are so many boats around the coastline that it would not make much difference and they are all jockeying for position to get their divers back on board. There are also snorkelers who can swim out from the beaches who are unsupervised.... In addition to all of this, non divers must realize that novice divers often loose control and float up to the surface with little notice. A diver at 5m can be on the surface in seconds, so accidents in this crowded water are inevitable.

Basically - too many people in too small a space.

[joebrown]

As an owner of a diving company, all of us in this community hope that she has a speedy recovery

Accidents happen in all walks of life, I don't know the full story other than what I read here.

It looks as though she may have been run over by a speed boat, if the captain of that boat did indeed do a runner

We take certified divers in pairs accompanied by a qualified Dive master to dive and novice divers with a fully qualified Instructor.

all the time when we surface we use marker bouys inflated and released upwards from the bottom and do not surface straight away

we do what is known as a decompression stop, even with novices, to teach them the correct safety procedures.

Obviously in this situation something has gone wrong

Don't be so quick to make STUPID assertions without knowing the circumstances

I would be interested in a comment from you on posts #16 and #18 of this thread.

I place diving and speedboat driving in the same category as driving on Thai roads. They are dangerous simply because no matter how many personal safety precautions one takes, there are, and always will be some IDIOTs out there who don't give a damn about anyone else in the water or on the road. Sadly, due to there being no laws or enforcement of them the carnage will go on ad infinitum.

[Bobobirdiebuddy]

In my younger days, I dived a bunch in Thailand. I've had boat anchors dropped on me, boats buzz me, a rental boat (captained by a 14 year old) ran out of gas. Face it, Thailand just doesn't care about anything like safety, just want to make money. Safety is an annoyance to most of these jokers.

[Basil B]

I dived Sail Rock, Chumphon Pinnacle and the Twins (4 dives) a few weeks ago, at no time did I recall seeing anyone deploy a SMB.

On all four dive we followed up the anchor line, I assume the dive leaders know their own boats anchors so are able to surface to the right boat, what worries me one day we will have a diving accident due to a deploying anchor.

I still believe SMB's deployed where they are most needed are just a magnet for morons on Jet Skis, dive sites need to be well marked with mooring buoys so boats do not have to drop anchors and all other boats have to stay well clear say 400m and dive boats should not enter the dive site except in emergency, and should manoeuvre at slow speed within 200m any dive site and deploy extra lookouts.

Further more IMHO dive boats should hoist a dive flag to show other boats there are divers in the water and to keep well away, which should be lowed when divers are out of the water.

Edit-in

Sorry did not see above post...

[nakhonandy]

As a diving instructor associated with a respectable Dive company it seems to me they are approaching this the wrong way.

99% of qualified instructors/divemasters always follow safety procedures.

In my experience boat/jet ski drivers do not.

That is where they should be looking!

I don't entirely agree with that statement. How are police supposed to realistically get boat captains/ fishermen and jetski users to abide by diving etiquette?

I'm sorry, but the responsibility is with the dive master to ensure a surface marker is deployed and in turn with the help of the surface crew, manage a safe environment for the group coming up. That includes identifying potential hazards or reckless behaviour.

You said 99% follow safety procedures? Quite right....that 1% is all it takes.

I agree with you on the 1%, accidents will always happen but a lot are preventable.

In most of the rest of the world where boat drivers require licenses (unfortunately often not here) part of the training is knowing to stay a safe distance from a dive buoy.

I agree that it is the responsibility if the DM/Instructor to use the buoy and indeed the boat crew. Not a lot of help if the boat drivers ignore rules unfortunately.

Another point was that novice divers can ascend quickly, true. However a good instructor is always within grabbing distance of the novice, specifically to prevent an uncontrolled ascent. When surfacing I always make a safety stop at 5m and listen for boat traffic, if I hear nothing we ascend. Another point is that due to the large numbers diving there the ratio of students to instructor is quite high and it is not always possible to follow those procedures!

Anyhow I wish her a speedy recovery.

[Basil B]

''The incident has spurred local police to inspect boat companies and diving instructors on the island''

How about across Thailand!

Why bother, the crackdown will only last a week if that

A week you are being pessimistic...

[masuk]

As a diving instructor associated with a respectable Dive company it seems to me they are approaching this the wrong way.

99% of qualified instructors/divemasters always follow safety procedures.

In my experience boat/jet ski drivers do not.

That is where they should be looking!

I presume the speed boat driver is still running....

Are boats numbered for identification in Thailand? i.e. thumping great big numbers painted on the hull, both sides.

[coulson]

As a diving instructor associated with a respectable Dive company it seems to me they are approaching this the wrong way.

99% of qualified instructors/divemasters always follow safety procedures.

In my experience boat/jet ski drivers do not.

That is where they should be looking!

I don't entirely agree with that statement. How are police supposed to realistically get boat captains/ fishermen and jetski users to abide by diving etiquette?

I'm sorry, but the responsibility is with the dive master to ensure a surface marker is deployed and in turn with the help of the surface crew, manage a safe environment for the group coming up. That includes identifying potential hazards or reckless behaviour.

You said 99% follow safety procedures? Quite right....that 1% is all it takes.

I agree with you on the 1%, accidents will always happen but a lot are preventable.

In most of the rest of the world where boat drivers require licenses (unfortunately often not here) part of the training is knowing to stay a safe distance from a dive buoy.

I agree that it is the responsibility if the DM/Instructor to use the buoy and indeed the boat crew. Not a lot of help if the boat drivers ignore rules unfortunately.

Another point was that novice divers can ascend quickly, true. However a good instructor is always within grabbing distance of the novice, specifically to prevent an uncontrolled ascent. When surfacing I always make a safety stop at 5m and listen for boat traffic, if I hear nothing we ascend. Another point is that due to the large numbers diving there the ratio of students to instructor is quite high and it is not always possible to follow those procedures!

Anyhow I wish her a speedy recovery.

I can only imagine what a mess Japanese Gardens has become, and how chaotic it is taking a bunch of go pro selfie chasing idiots down there with not enough resources on and off the boat. Don't envy you and respect what you do.

I was not pointing any fingers at you directly, but I think the outfits are entirely accountable when they bring paying customers to a hazardous site. They know the traffic, they know there are reasonable limits to the size of a group and they know boat drivers can and should do more than just get you from A to B. Instead too much responsibility comes on your shoulders as an individual, I hope this changes.

[TheKnave]

This just in: Horse missing; Barn door to be closed...

[fxe1200]

Presumably there are dive buoys on the surface and other boats are not allowed within so many meters of those buoys.

it would seem in this instant either diver or boat was in the wrong place?

The diving boat also should have the bow pointed towards the buoy, where the diving takes place. There must be someone on watch and warn boats, which are closing in to that area, either by a fog horn, the horn speaker and/or Radio. But I have never seen that in Thailand.

[Nick167]

Koh Tao again! I have no sympathy for farangs or any foreigners who get into trouble, accidents, etc while going to places like Koh Tao, Samui, Phuket, Krabi, Phangnga or other Southern destinations. Time after time, you have seen reports about scams, accidents etc by the Southern thugs there and yet they go.....well at their own risk. And whatever happens, they truly deserve it.

[uksomchai]

I dived Sail Rock, Chumphon Pinnacle and the Twins (4 dives) a few weeks ago, at no time did I recall seeing anyone deploy a SMB.

On all four dive we followed up the anchor line, I assume the dive leaders know their own boats anchors so are able to surface to the right boat, what worries me one day we will have a diving accident due to a deploying anchor.

I still believe SMB's deployed where they are most needed are just a magnet for morons on Jet Skis, dive sites need to be well marked with mooring buoys so boats do not have to drop anchors and all other boats have to stay well clear say 400m and dive boats should not enter the dive site except in emergency, and should manoeuvre at slow speed within 200m any dive site and deploy extra lookouts.

Further more IMHO dive boats should hoist a dive flag to show other boats there are divers in the water and to keep well away, which should be lowed when divers are out of the water.

Edit-in

Sorry did not see above post...

I'm sorry but no dive boat uses an anchor at the dive sites you supposedly dived at. In fact In all the dive sites around Koh Tao I know of none where the dive boat would drop an anchor. They all use Buoy lines which are fixed to the bottom and the boats attach to these and other boats will simply attach to the first boat. Every dive school that I know of or have worked for all insist that an SMB is used before surfacing and a qualified and experienced diver should have his own SMB if for some reason the dive leader doesn't have or use one. I always have mine in my BCD and would certainly use it if I dived with a company that didn't use one

I just read another Koh Tao bashing post here Sorry

[uksomchai]

Presumably there are dive buoys on the surface and other boats are not allowed within so many meters of those buoys.

it would seem in this instant either diver or boat was in the wrong place?

The diving boat also should have the bow pointed towards the buoy, where the diving takes place. There must be someone on watch and warn boats, which are closing in to that area, either by a fog horn, the horn speaker and/or Radio. But I have never seen that in Thailand.

Do you actually dive ? have you done much diving on Koh Tao ? Do you understand just how many people come to Koh Tao to learn to dive or to fun dive ? The figures are huge and yet the accidents are very few and far between. That doesn't stop the Koh Tao haters from posting their bile about the island which they often know very little of if they have actually been there in the first place.

Over the last 12 years I have done thousands of dives there and certified thousands of people and have never once had a problem either in the water or on the island itself.

Accidents happen all over the world not just Thailand and certainly not just Koh Tao