Teenaged tourist critically injured by speedboat propeller

[rooster59]

Teenaged tourist critically injured by speedboat propeller

Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: A speedboat crew member was charged for reckless driving and causing injury after a Chinese tourist was severely injured when he got caught in the boat’s propeller on Wednesday.

Li Yuheng, 18, was aboard the Poseidon 959 along with 33 other tourists. The boat was headed from Phuket to Phi Phi and was moored at Pileh Bay for tourists to swim.

Maj Seksan Boonlert of Koh Phi Phi Police questioned Narudol Thongdee, 20, the crew member charged in the incident.

“Mr Narudol said that Mr Li went swimming. When it got windy and the waves became a little rough, Mr Narudol tried to move the boat so the rocking movement wouldn’t hurt tourists. He said he had no idea Mr Li was near the propeller until he was already injured,” said Maj Seksan.

Full story: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Teenaged-tourist-critically-injured-speedboat-propeller/64193?desktopversion#ad-image-0

-- Phuket Gazette 2016-07-09

[LivinginKata]

So much for the new marine safety initiative ....

[daveAustin]

Accident is old news, though I guess someone's been charged.

[edwinchester]

Passengers in the water but still fired up the boat engines without checking.

Moron springs to mind as starters and makes you wonder what sort of training, if any, these operators have had.

[geovalin]

Richard Barrow tells the young chap is dead.

[Bung]

That's sad news. I wonder if the guy will now be charged with manslaughter?

[smedly]

Licence and training resulting in a qualification to perform the job promoting safety and responsibility, but then that would cost money and Thais don't want to spend money on such trivial things as they all think in their little small world and minds that they can do everything better than everyone else (we don't need no stinking training I am 20 I am expert I ride scooter from I was 10) - unfortunately in reality it is the opposite, they just have no clue, they have never been trained or shown how to do things properly and safely - you only need to look at the driving on the roads, they just want to stuff the trillions they earn from tourism each year into their pockets as quickly as possible and spend as little as possible to get it.

[Bung]

How can anyone expect a 20 year old kid to be responsible for managing a speed boat with 3 high powered outboards on it full of passengers (likely overloaded as well)?

It's a shamefully ridiculous situation.

[atyclb]

This high tech device can save live and lower injuries and offset the disastrous consequences of cerebral atrophy

Edited July 10, 2016 by atyclb

[atyclb]

How can anyone expect a 20 year old kid to be responsible for managing a speed boat with 3 high powered outboards on it full of passengers (likely overloaded as well)?

It's a shamefully ridiculous situation.

age does not define competency or incompetency.

many a 20 yo grew up with a boat captain father/family and in addition to gaining licensure are competent though this scenario is not common in thailand

[Lannig]

This high tech device can save live and lower injuries and offset the disastrous consequences of cerebral atrophy

Nice but...

Extra cost, much added drag in water, decreased efficiency of the propeller hence higher fuel consumption.

Between this and the extra safety, what do you think people will chose? (unless it's made mandatory).

I haven't seen this used anywhere on speedboats even on the "nanny state" coasts.

[mcfish]

How can anyone expect a 20 year old kid to be responsible for managing a speed boat with 3 high powered outboards on it full of passengers (likely overloaded as well)?

It's a shamefully ridiculous situation.

Plenty of 20 year old commercial pilots flying 20 people around . Its just a boat and what is needed is an increase in safety standards..training...training..until it sinks in

[SOTIRIOS]

...sick....sick scum.......

...charged 100 baht for ruining yet another life....???

...'no idea'....then shouldn't be operating any machinery......

[steelepulse]

How can anyone expect a 20 year old kid to be responsible for managing a speed boat with 3 high powered outboards on it full of passengers (likely overloaded as well)?

It's a shamefully ridiculous situation.

age does not define competency or incompetency.

many a 20 yo grew up with a boat captain father/family and in addition to gaining licensure are competent though this scenario is not common in thailand

Looks like it defined this particular Einstein.

[Enoon]

This high tech device can save live and lower injuries and offset the disastrous consequences of cerebral atrophy

Nice but...

Extra cost, much added drag in water, decreased efficiency of the propeller hence higher fuel consumption.

Between this and the extra safety, what do you think people will chose? (unless it's made mandatory).

I haven't seen this used anywhere on speedboats even on the "nanny state" coasts.

Google "Boat Propeller Cage" and see how many manufacturers/designs there are.

Somebody is buying them.

(Think "aquatic mammals other than humans")

Edited July 10, 2016 by Enoon

[Lannig]

This high tech device can save live and lower injuries and offset the disastrous consequences of cerebral atrophy

Nice but...

Extra cost, much added drag in water, decreased efficiency of the propeller hence higher fuel consumption.

Between this and the extra safety, what do you think people will chose? (unless it's made mandatory).

I haven't seen this used anywhere on speedboats even on the "nanny state" coasts.

Google "Boat Propeller Cage" and see how many manufacturers/designs there are.

Somebody is buying them.

Maybe, just not in my part of the world and I spend quite some time around boats.

Wouldn't mind seeing them made mandatory for specific conditions / environments though.

[2fishin2]

How can anyone expect a 20 year old kid to be responsible for managing a speed boat with 3 high powered outboards on it full of passengers (likely overloaded as well)?

It's a shamefully ridiculous situation.

age does not define competency or incompetency.

many a 20 yo grew up with a boat captain father/family and in addition to gaining licensure are competent though this scenario is not common in thailand

Complete BS.

[NamKangMan]

This high tech device can save live and lower injuries and offset the disastrous consequences of cerebral atrophy

Too expensive.

Phuket is all about maximum baht in, for minimum baht out, and safety standards is the collateral damage.

[smedly]

How can anyone expect a 20 year old kid to be responsible for managing a speed boat with 3 high powered outboards on it full of passengers (likely overloaded as well)?

It's a shamefully ridiculous situation.

age does not define competency or incompetency.

many a 20 yo grew up with a boat captain father/family and in addition to gaining licensure are competent though this scenario is not common in thailand

Complete BS.

2fishin......you are correct, age has nothing to do with it for the most part, the strange thing is in Thailand - you need a university degree to work in a 7/11 but need FA to captain a boat with responsibility for the safety hundreds of tourists every day, any wingnut connected to the family will do.......like I said above, I have been riding a scooter from I was 10 I know everything, this country has had over 30years of tourism making billions upon billions of baht and yet they still allow some uneducated unskilled untrained 20yo wingnut to ferry tourists around in his mafias speed boat..........we don't need no stinking training ....we are expert................oh and training costs money and maybe I am too stupid to pass test.

The only thing that will fix this is "a" government that is willing to set standards - set laws and enforce them.....spend money from the trillions they earn each year from tourism !!!!!!!!!!!

I am willing to wager that at least 50% of people that provide transport for tourists in Thailand are ........................wingnuts that were never tested and have absolutely no qualification or even licence to be doing so (excluding air and that is debatable but just as well it is something that is a global standard and not - I have been riding a scooter from I was 10)

You know going back to the OP - this wingnut started up the engines of this boat when he knew people from his boat were swimming in the water......seriously

and the last message we got from authorities after all the recent boating incidents ............ we are on it and taking control for tourist safety..........they simply just don't know to do that.....they really have absolutely no idea how to improve the safety of anything...clueless

As I have said several times on TVF, if they don't know then they need to seek outside help and expertise in these matters, they cannot ignore this any longer, social media - dash cams and a whole plathora of stuff is revealing this incompetent B S to the world, it cannot be hidden and ignored any longer.

Just as well the air industry are forced into it and there is no choice................shut that door

waken up Thailand, spend some money, get some help, and sort this out.......bus accidents UK last year maybe one or two for the whole year.....Thailand, at least two every week (reported) with multiple injuries and deaths ???????

rant over

[whatproblem]

International standards?

[cardinalblue]

What is the rule regarding engine status and people in the water?

We always had a spotter for water skiing to communicate to the driver about people in the water..also driver common sense for the situation...

Would expect more safeguards for multiple swimmers...two spotters counting people in and out of water...engine off until cleared to start and another step to put in gear...

[geovalin]

Chinese newspapers confirm he's dead

http://edu.qq.com/a/20160711/015539.htm

Ask to Google Translate

[gdgbb]

How can anyone expect a 20 year old kid to be responsible for managing a speed boat with 3 high powered outboards on it full of passengers (likely overloaded as well)?

It's a shamefully ridiculous situation.

It's shamefully ridiculous that you should suggest that the boat was likely to be overloaded when nothing in the OP stated that. The boat was just as likely to not be overloaded but the number of passengers would have no effect whatsoever on this incident.

[gdgbb]

waken up Thailand, spend some money, get some help, and sort this out.......bus accidents UK last year maybe one or two for the whole year.....Thailand, at least two every week (reported) with multiple injuries and deaths ???????

rant over

A very biased and ill-informed rant also.

"...bus accidents UK last year maybe one or two for the whole year...." What?

Uk statistics show that for year ended 2015 London buses alone were involved in nearly 25,000 collisions in the year 2014/15 – an average of 67 every day. (http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/one-death-every-three-weeks-involving-london-buses-new-figures-show-a3091156.html)

Quarterly collision data published shows 2,736 people were injured or killed on or by London buses during the first six months of 2015.

Then there's the rest of the country to factor in.

[smedly]

waken up Thailand, spend some money, get some help, and sort this out.......bus accidents UK last year maybe one or two for the whole year.....Thailand, at least two every week (reported) with multiple injuries and deaths ???????

rant over

A very biased and ill-informed rant also.

"...bus accidents UK last year maybe one or two for the whole year...." What?

Uk statistics show that for year ended 2015 London buses alone were involved in nearly 25,000 collisions in the year 2014/15 – an average of 67 every day. (http://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/one-death-every-three-weeks-involving-london-buses-new-figures-show-a3091156.html)

Quarterly collision data published shows 2,736 people were injured or killed on or by London buses during the first six months of 2015.

Then there's the rest of the country to factor in.

I'm not talking about minor shunts and collisions, I talking about newsworthy incidents were the are deaths and serious injuries

[Old Croc]

How can anyone expect a 20 year old kid to be responsible for managing a speed boat with 3 high powered outboards on it full of passengers (likely overloaded as well)?

It's a shamefully ridiculous situation.

It's shamefully ridiculous that you should suggest that the boat was likely to be overloaded when nothing in the OP stated that. The boat was just as likely to not be overloaded but the number of passengers would have no effect whatsoever on this incident.

I know of an 18yo formula 1 racing driver who is competing against, and beating, some of the best in the world in one of the most complex pieces of machinery in existence.

Age doesn't necessarily preclude skill and commonsense.

Training, education, culture, sensible rules and the oversighting of them are the missing links here in Thailand.

[steelepulse]

The questions remains, why aren't proper safety precautions taken? We can start with prop guards, multiple spotters for swimmers, a fully licensed and trained captain that has undergone rigorous training and passed some sort of international exam to earn a real captains license etc.

I cringe when I see parasail boats almost running over swimmers on the beaches, hordes of Chinese loading and unloading on Rawai beach with the boats speeding in and out continuously, said boat drivers nearly running me over many times while paddling, boat drivers speeding in no wake zones etc.

There simply isn't any enforcement, no matter what is proclaimed in the news unless you want to count mandatory life vests being worn when taking Chinese out.

[atyclb]

The questions remains, why aren't proper safety precautions taken? We can start with prop guards, multiple spotters for swimmers, a fully licensed and trained captain that has undergone rigorous training and passed some sort of international exam to earn a real captains license etc.

I cringe when I see parasail boats almost running over swimmers on the beaches, hordes of Chinese loading and unloading on Rawai beach with the boats speeding in and out continuously, said boat drivers nearly running me over many times while paddling, boat drivers speeding in no wake zones etc.

There simply isn't any enforcement, no matter what is proclaimed in the news unless you want to count mandatory life vests being worn when taking Chinese out.

the culture and mindset seems to be largely lacking in ability to do things competently and to learn from mistakes. additionally the cheating-corruption mindset further compounds the already dismal situation. a blatant example of this was the A340 jet thai airways was to sell to a saudi prince. the jet was inspected by engineers that looked inside the engines with boroscopes. they found needed required maintenance had NOT been done despite the paperwork saying it was done. this is an international airline that must meet int aviation standards.

http://www.eturbonews.com/58480/reason-behind-thailand-s-air-safety-problem

[gandalf12]

The questions remains, why aren't proper safety precautions taken? We can start with prop guards, multiple spotters for swimmers, a fully licensed and trained captain that has undergone rigorous training and passed some sort of international exam to earn a real captains license etc.

I cringe when I see parasail boats almost running over swimmers on the beaches, hordes of Chinese loading and unloading on Rawai beach with the boats speeding in and out continuously, said boat drivers nearly running me over many times while paddling, boat drivers speeding in no wake zones etc.

There simply isn't any enforcement, no matter what is proclaimed in the news unless you want to count mandatory life vests being worn when taking Chinese out.

the culture and mindset seems to be largely lacking in ability to do things competently and to learn from mistakes. additionally the cheating-corruption mindset further compounds the already dismal situation. a blatant example of this was the A340 jet thai airways was to sell to a saudi prince. the jet was inspected by engineers that looked inside the engines with boroscopes. they found needed required maintenance had NOT been done despite the paperwork saying it was done. this is an international airline that must meet int aviation standards.

http://www.eturbonews.com/58480/reason-behind-thailand-s-air-safety-problem

I agree with what you say. However, for them to learn from their mistakes they have to own up to making a mistake and for a Thai that would be unthinkable. They seriously believe they know it all. To accept a lack of knowledge would mean a loss of face and heaven forbid that should happen,, it just is not in the culture to accept their short comings.

[Bangkokazy]

One tragedy after another, but life goes on here.

Edited July 11, 2016 by Bangkokazy