Phuket kids gain surf survival, rescue skills after first drowning death for 2016

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Phuket kids gain surf survival, rescue skills after first drowning death for 2016
The Phuket News


Forty children learned surf survival and rescue skills at Patong Beach. Photo: Phuket Lifeguard Service

PHUKET: -- Lifeguards held a free surf survival and rescue training session for 40 children at Patong Beach yesterday (Apr 18), as Phuket marked its first drowning death of the year.

Maneewan Mutthong, 20, from Bangkok, was pronounced dead at Vachira Phuket Hospital yesterday morning, Witanya Chuayuan, Deputy Director of Phuket Life Guard Service told The Phuket News today.

“Hospital staff told me that Ms Manee had died when I called to follow up on her condition,” Ms Witanya said.

Ms Manee was in Phuket on holiday with about six or seven people, Ms Witanya said.

“The group ignored red flags and were caught in a rip current at Nai Harn Beach on Sunday (Apr 17). Ms Manee was the last one pulled from the water. She disappeared for about five minutes,” she added.

Lifeguards attempted to revive Ms Manee before she was rushed still unconscious to the new Accident and Emergency Department of the yet-to-be-built Chalong Hospital (see here), then transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town, where better treatment could be provided. (See story here)

http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-gains-new-emergency-medical-centre-in-chalong-55577.php

http://www.thephuketnews.com/mayor-pleads-for-swimmers-to-heed-red-flag-warnings-after-rescue-of-six-caught-in-rip-tide-off-nai-harn-beach-57066.php

“It is very sad for such a young person to lose her life. It shouldn’t have happened, but they played in the water where red warning flags were posted,” Ms Wianya said.

Ms Manee was the first drowning death in Phuket for 2016.

“Other provinces have had children drown already this year, but this was the first person in Phuket to die from drowning this year,” Ms Witanya said.

The surf survival and life-saving training session for children held in front of Loma Park in Patong yesterday was the third such workshop conducted by Phuket lifeguards this year.

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-kids-gain-surf-survival-rescue-skills-after-first-drowning-death-for-2016-57091.php


-- Phuket News 2016-04-19