Thai worker passes out at bottom of deep well, thought to have suffocated
Eakkapop Thongtub



PHUKET: -- A 45-year-old man remains unresponsive in hospital after losing consciousness at the bottom of a 12-metre-deep well at a private resident in Chalong May 14.

The victim, named as 45-year-old Mr Thaworn Boonorn, was rushed to Vachira Phuket Hospital after rescue workers pulled him up from out of the bottom of the well, unconsious.

Pol Lt Chonlada Chokdeesrichan of Chalong Police was notified at 10:45am that a worker hired to deepen a well, was thought to have passed out and drowned at the bottom of the well, located in the Patak Villa housing estate in Chalong.

Police arrived to the scene with Ruamjai rescue workers and an emergency medical unit from Vachira Hospital, where they met Mr Surachai Boobsan, 45, who identified himself as a colleague of Mr Thaworn.

Mr Surachai told police that he and Mr Thaworn had been hired to deepen the well, which dried out during the recent dry spell.

Mr Surachai reported that Mr Thaworn had been lowered down into the well to dig the bottom out, but had gone silent after about ten minutes and did not respond to shouts from above, prompting Mr Surachai to call for help.

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/thai-worker-passes-out-at-bottom-of-deep-well-thought-to-have-suffocated-57435.php

-- Phuket News 2016-05-16

Never considered any confined space safety protocol I guess. Another case of the 'What if' gene deficiency.

When my well went dry recently I considered hiring some workers to see if they could dig it a little deeper.

However, remembering a case several years ago when two (I think) workers died doing a similar task, I decided that organising ventilation, breathing equipment or whatever and getting people to use them properly, would be all too hard.

I decided to get water delivered and wait for the rains.

Anyone organising a job like this without taking safety precautions should face prosecution.

Permit confined space entry is a well described regulation and procedure...

I just don't see the Thais going to this level of safety as well as costs...there is no OSHA enforcement and no understanding here why these types of regulations are in place in the West...

There is a lot of cheap labor around and everyone is a generalist....

Is there a problem? Next man up...

Permit to work NO

Confined Space training NO

Gas detector NO

Escape set NO

Recipe for disaster,life is cheap carry on regardless.

Forgot to add...

It would be interesting to hear follow up on how rescue personnel retrieved this man and were they following perceived protocol for this type of situation or did they just wing it...

Usually in these cases when people are lost, it's multiple when proper procedures aren't followed..

My guess is they got lucky on their rescue...

Rest in Peace.