Drowned Russian at Surin Beach the third 'Red Flag' drowning victim in three days

[Lite Beer]

Drowned Russian at Surin Beach the third 'Red Flag' drowning victim in three days

PHUKET: A 24-year-old Russian national is in a semi-conscious state and being watched over closely by doctors at Thalang Hospital after he was rescued and revived off of Surin Beach yesterday evening.

Drowned Russian at Surin Beach the third 'Red Flag' drowning victim in three days
Witnesses say that Mr Pavel Ugai was among a large group of tourists who decided to ignore the red flags on Surin Beach warning of dangerous surf, before he was sucked by a rip current and found himself 250 metres from the coastline.

Onlookers yelled for help, catching the attention of lifeguards who swam out to save the Russian tourist, bringing him back to the beach as Cherng Talay Rescue Volunteers were called.

CPR was administered on the scene until an ambulance arrived to transport the tourist to hospital.

Mr Pavel is the third tourist to drown off a Phuket Beach in three days. Asian tourists who ignored red flags in Patong on Thursday and in Kata on Friday both succumbeded to the surf.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/russian-tourist-who-drowned-at-surin-beach-under-close-watch-at-hospital-53670.php

-- Phuket News 2015-08-16

[FireMedic]

Promoting tourist safety one dead tourist at a time. I feel bad for their families.

[Somtamnication]

Don't really know what to say. Sad for the families, super dangerous for the lifeguards to go out and help hard headed tourists and then I have to look at the crack of the EMS guy's butt.

RIP.

[stevenl]

Confusing story, is he dead?

[xerostar]

Has it ever occured to the lifeguards that tourists don't have clue what the flags mean?

[NCC1701A]

the the USA if there are red flags out, the lifeguards don't let you go in the water...

not the other way round...

[nowretired]

Has it ever occured to the lifeguards that tourists don't have clue what the flags mean?

The beach flag system used by the Phuket life guards conforms to International standards.

The problems are

1. Tourists who leave their brains at home

And

2. Alcohol

Solution ?

Give the lifeguards power to have drunks and idiots removed from the beach!

[stevenl]

Has it ever occured to the lifeguards that tourists don't have clue what the flags mean?

Which is why there are clear, big signs in several languages.

[stevenl]

the the USA if there are red flags out, the lifeguards don't let you go in the water...

not the other way round...

Looking at posts made in the past about angry people who were asked not to enter the water when the red flags are up, that does not seem to be the solution.

[phuketandsee]

Confusing story, is he dead?

Later news reports of a Swiss man being the fourth to die in 4 days so I guess he is.

[surfinglife]

I suspect that typical Boris from Siberia has never seen the sea and has no idea what red flags mean. Big and I mean BIG signs may be more effective.

[nowretired]

I suspect that typical Boris from Siberia has never seen the sea and has no idea what red flags mean. Big and I mean BIG signs may be more effective.

If Boris is an Adult does he also attempt to ride a motorbike despite having never ridden one before ?

Should Boris be contained within his hotel in an attempt to protect him from his own foolishness?

[anfh]

Very sad, but i just fail to understand why people choose to ignore the No Swimming Red Flags in Thailand. You regularly see large numbers of people in the sea, and quite far out, whilst red flags are posted every 100 metres.

[ironbark]

Has it ever occured to the lifeguards that tourists don't have clue what the flags mean?

The beach flag system used by the Phuket life guards conforms to International standards.

The problems are

1. Tourists who leave their brains at home

And

2. Alcohol

Solution ?

Give the lifeguards power to have drunks and idiots removed from the beach!

It makes no difference if they do not understand the international standard but this is understood more widely

[stevenl]

I suspect that typical Boris from Siberia has never seen the sea and has no idea what red flags mean. Big and I mean BIG signs may be more effective.

There are clear, very big signs, even in Russian.

[Pinot]

Let's face it, the lifeguards in LOS are just a tiny notch above useless. They'll retrieve bodies. They don't watch the beach. They don't care, it's not in the job description.

I see them renting surfboards and jetskis, but mostly they're just sleeping. There is not enough of them for 50% coverage of the beaches.

You're own your own in Thailand.

[nemrut]

Problem with Russians, Brits and many other farang is too much drinking and macho culture which is afraid of appearing weak.

[Srikcir]

"Onlookers yelled for help, catching the attention of lifeguards"

And there is the problem...they're not really lifeguards but beach bums.

[fred Kubasa]

" Red flags " are, clearly, not enough - lifeguards should be patrolling beach,and have proper life-saving equipment, including a boat

to render immediate aid

[goreme]

" Red flags " are, clearly, not enough - lifeguards should be patrolling beach,and have proper life-saving equipment, including a boat

to render immediate aid

Why... do farangs need to be coddled and protected like children? Everyone else seems to understand the red flags except farang, which in typical fashion, feel entitled to do whatever they want whenever they want and screw everyone else attitude.

Do you think farangs that blatantly ignore warning signs understood by 2yr olds are going to listen to some 20yr life guard telling them not to swim.

More than likely theyll take offense that some 'little brown person' is trying to tell them what to do, and at the risk of losing face and appearing weak, will go and do it anyway.

[williet98248]

the the USA if there are red flags out, the lifeguards don't let you go in the water...

not the other way round...

Looking at posts made in the past about angry people who were asked not to enter the water when the red flags are up, that does not seem to be the solution.

In the US certified Life Guards have police powers and can arrest you if you do not comply with their instructions. In Thailand the life guards have no police powers and can only advise people. If people so advised or who cannot read and understand multi language signs with graphics and red, yellow and green flags go swimming in dangerous waters there is not much the life guards can do but wait to collect the bodies.

[xerostar]

How much time elapsed between somebody realizing the swimmer was in trouble, the observer running down the beach to wake up a lifeguard,

Then the life guard running back down the beach and swimming out to the person, then slowly dragging their limp body back to shore

then waiting for a paramedic to come and have a look?

When a person is drowning, a minute can be be the difference between a death or a resuscitation.

In this case the swimmers don't have a hope in hell of surviving.

Lifeguards should have a jet ski patrolling beyond the breakers but I know that would be wishful thinking in Thailand

The lifeguards should have a high observation tower from where they can scan the water with binoculars.

More wishful thinking.

Do the paramedics have adequate training and equipment?

After all these people who drowned were tourists who came to Thailand to spend money.

Unfortunately dead people don't spend much money but the authorities don't see that as a problem.

Tourists are essential to their economy and they should take more care of this valuable asset.

I know you can't protect all the idiots but hey the authorities should take some of the responsibility to take care of tourists.

Just yesterday I was on a cycling path in Perth and there was a big yellow sign one meter wide saying "Pedestrians Watch Your Step!"

The "danger" was some disturbed bitumen due to tree roots growing underneath the path.

The contrast in care for citizens between here in Australia and in Thailand is mind blowing.

[Old Croc]

How much time elapsed between somebody realizing the swimmer was in trouble, the observer running down the beach to wake up a lifeguard,

Then the life guard running back down the beach and swimming out to the person, then slowly dragging their limp body back to shore

then waiting for a paramedic to come and have a look?

When a person is drowning, a minute can be be the difference between a death or a resuscitation.

In this case the swimmers don't have a hope in hell of surviving.

Lifeguards should have a jet ski patrolling beyond the breakers but I know that would be wishful thinking in Thailand

The lifeguards should have a high observation tower from where they can scan the water with binoculars.

More wishful thinking.

Do the paramedics have adequate training and equipment?

After all these people who drowned were tourists who came to Thailand to spend money.

Unfortunately dead people don't spend much money but the authorities don't see that as a problem.

Tourists are essential to their economy and they should take more care of this valuable asset.

I know you can't protect all the idiots but hey the authorities should take some of the responsibility to take care of tourists.

Just yesterday I was on a cycling path in Perth and there was a big yellow sign one meter wide saying "Pedestrians Watch Your Step!"

The "danger" was some disturbed bitumen due to tree roots growing underneath the path.

The contrast in care for citizens between here in Australia and in Thailand is mind blowing.

Are you aware 266 people drowned in Australia in the last calendar year despite all the lifeguards, equipment, funding and government interference in every aspect of peoples lives? Far too many of these were tourists without experience of local surf conditions and on patrolled beaches like Bondi.

I'm a great advocate of personal responsibility. To survive until old age, and the time when your heart finally stops beating through natural means, requires you, as an individual, to have a certain sense of self preservation and common sense.

I don't hire big bikes without having any experience, and hoon off down a busy street at top speed, I don't leap off high cliffs or take tight corners in a car at 100kph and I don't swim in dangerous surf, despite growing up on Scarborough beach. Stupidity reaps it's own rewards, so I don't blame everything else when an individual comes to grief through his own carelessness.

There are adequate safeguards on the beaches here to warn all but the idiots, personal responsibility is the thing many of these victims lack.

One of the matters on my pro/con list when I decided to leave Perth to live in Phuket was the excessive government interference in all aspects of my life in Australia. Apart from the idiotic visa regime, I enjoy having much less interference by authorities in my life in Thailand.

I have to ask - instead of putting up a huge warning sign why didn't they simply repair the cycle path?

[Old Croc]

Incidentally, I understand this Russian is still alive and recovering in hospital.

Very injudicious use of the word "drowned" in the OP!

Edited August 17, 2015 by Old Croc

[Gandtee]

"Keep the red flag flying High". I would have thought that the Russians would have taken notice? Perhaps they did? RIP

[stevenl]

Confusing story, is he dead?

Later news reports of a Swiss man being the fourth to die in 4 days so I guess he is.

Latest reports day the Russian guy is alive and recovering.

[Old Croc]

The Gazette has reported the Russian has now been released from hospital.

[HLover]

Last seen drinking vodka wrapped in a bag from 7-11, god speed my brother.