Russian tourist drowns at Karon Beach

[snoop1130]

Russian tourist drowns at Karon Beach

By Eakkapop Thongtub

 

The man was rushed ashore early this afternoon. Photo: Karon Police
 

PHUKET:-- A Russian tourist has died after being pulled from the surf unconscious at Karon Beach today (Sept 11).
 

Maj Techin Deethongon of the Karon Police said he was notified of the man’s death at 1pm.

 

Officers responding to the call were told that the man, 60 years old, was staying at a nearby resort. He checked in on Sept 8 and was to check out on Sept 20.

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/russian-tourist-drowns-at-karon-beach-72839.php#QBgyyaPXV0WGVsR4.97

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2019-09-11

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[Swedenlars]

Russian tourist drowns at Karon Beach
By Eakkapop Thongtub
 

The man was rushed ashore early this afternoon. Photo: Karon Police
 
PHUKET:-- A Russian tourist has died after being pulled from the surf unconscious at Karon Beach today (Sept 11).
 
Maj Techin Deethongon of the Karon Police said he was notified of the man’s death at 1pm.
 
Officers responding to the call were told that the man, 60 years old, was staying at a nearby resort. He checked in on Sept 8 and was to check out on Sept 20.

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/russian-tourist-drowns-at-karon-beach-72839.php#QBgyyaPXV0WGVsR4.97
 

-- [emoji2398] Copyright Phuket News 2019-09-11 Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

Sadly this is happening since decades in Phuket. There should be more warnings about these dangerous underwater currents. Sometimes there are red flags or signs. But many tourists ignore them. Once you are dragged out there is no way back. Not for the best swimmer in world. What would be useful kind of survial technique: How to react if it happens to you ? The only chance you have once you get dragged out: Do not resist. When you feel the current weakens, try to swim to the left or right. Good luck.

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[watcharacters]

Undertows are world wide and certainly every beach frequented by tourists should have appropriate warnings  posted.

[ratcatcher]

37 minutes ago, Swedenlars said:

There should be more warnings about these dangerous underwater currents.

 

37 minutes ago, Swedenlars said:

But many tourists ignore them

And that's the reason they drown.  

[Scot123]

People on here just can't help themselves "blame the tourist" don't blame Thailand and if you don't like it don't stay here. So much money made from tourists and the beaches do not have adequate life guards or equipment. Didnt I read the other day life guards were being removed and don't you see every year problems with contracts and even getting life guards? This is so wrong. Maybe people will soon stop going to Thailand for their holidays....... 

[gk10002000]

41 minutes ago, Scot123 said:

People on here just can't help themselves "blame the tourist" don't blame Thailand and if you don't like it don't stay here. So much money made from tourists and the beaches do not have adequate life guards or equipment. Didnt I read the other day life guards were being removed and don't you see every year problems with contracts and even getting life guards? This is so wrong. Maybe people will soon stop going to Thailand for their holidays....... 

While I like the idea of lifeguards and am used to them being here in many of the beaches in the USA, I also have to take the hard line and regard ocean swimming as an inherently risky and dangerous activity and one does so at ones' own risk.   Undertow is only a problem if you panic and try to fight it.  Just relax, go for a float, swim across it and things will work out.  Now if you can't swim or are feeble and a very weak swimmer, well, don't go in the water!  Now when there are accidents, or heart attacks, that can be a different story and having competent life guards on duty can be a good thing and possibly a required thing.  But I don't expect them.  Heck I was a Scout Life guard, stood watch on beaches for kids, had all the junior and senior lifesaving stuff when younger.  I watched many in shape kids flunk out because they did not have the strength to hair tow or cross chest swim out with a person.  So just because there is a skinny little Thai person sitting on a guard chair, does not give me much confidence in their ability to help.  They may be good watch dogs as Geese are, but they are not effective guard dogs as German Shepherds are.. to make an analogy

[Nyezhov]

6 hours ago, Scot123 said:

People on here just can't help themselves "blame the tourist" don't blame Thailand and if you don't like it don't stay here. So much money made from tourists and the beaches do not have adequate life guards or equipment. Didnt I read the other day life guards were being removed and don't you see every year problems with contracts and even getting life guards? This is so wrong. Maybe people will soon stop going to Thailand for their holidays....... 

There are no lifeguards in most places in the Outer Banks of NC,  USA, which are gorgeous, clean beaches and which draws from a population area almost greater than all of thailand. Its a well known tourist area. Folks die in the surf like flies. Including trained swimmers. And sharkes get them too. Thats that Atlantic ocean for you.

 

My motto is, that if the things under the water dont get you, then the surf will. At the beach I dip my toes manfully in the water while allowing my jiggles of marble bag confined flesh to slowly roast in the sun. Then, when at the correct temperature, I bravely wade out to my knees and sit down so that I look like I am in deep water. By sticking to knee depth, I can see larger carnivores and avoid waves that may drag me out. Its the safest way to enjoy the dangerous activity

[Old Croc]

7 hours ago, Scot123 said:

People on here just can't help themselves "blame the tourist" don't blame Thailand and if you don't like it don't stay here. So much money made from tourists and the beaches do not have adequate life guards or equipment. Didnt I read the other day life guards were being removed and don't you see every year problems with contracts and even getting life guards? This is so wrong. Maybe people will soon stop going to Thailand for their holidays....... 

The report about life guards being removed was about a beach elsewhere in the Province. 

Karon Beach is patrolled, but as it is nearly 3 1/2 km long, lifeguards can't be close at hand for every emergency. If you had read the link you would have seen this -

"Lifeguards brought the man back to shore, but he was unconscious and unresponsive, and lifeguards performed CPR."

 

From the picture it appears the man drowned close to a semi permanent rip/undertow not far from the headland. (Water that comes into a beach as waves has to flow back out again). Inexperienced people often swim in rips because they appear calmer with fewer waves. 

Despite what another poster stated above,  a rip is not an automatic death sentence for swimmers. Many use them as a quick way out to the surf break.
 

 

[Tropposurfer]

8 hours ago, Scot123 said:

People on here just can't help themselves "blame the tourist" don't blame Thailand and if you don't like it don't stay here. So much money made from tourists and the beaches do not have adequate life guards or equipment. Didnt I read the other day life guards were being removed and don't you see every year problems with contracts and even getting life guards? This is so wrong. Maybe people will soon stop going to Thailand for their holidays....... 

Yep agree with some of what you wrote.

the training, staff levels and equipment are poor by Aussie standards.

heavily visited tourist locations like Phuket combined with seasonal swell and currents is a recipe for drownings.

i always, as a surfer and swimmer since nappy days intervene and tell people don’t swim here, or, bad rip, or  swim over there perhaps, or don’t go in its too dangerous and show them. Can’t do much more than that.

have been around n saved dozens of people over the years with my board and without.

[RichardColeman]

12 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

 

And that's the reason they drown.  

or vodkaism

[alfalfa19]

14 hours ago, Swedenlars said:

Sadly this is happening since decades in Phuket. There should be more warnings about these dangerous underwater currents. Sometimes there are red flags or signs. But many tourists ignore them. Once you are dragged out there is no way back. Not for the best swimmer in world. What would be useful kind of survial technique: How to react if it happens to you ? The only chance you have once you get dragged out: Do not resist. When you feel the current weakens, try to swim to the left or right. Good luck.

Gesendet von meinem SM-N950F mit Tapatalk
 

that is correct.  that's what i did at naiharn on my first trip to thailand.  i swam out about a quarter mile,  puttered around out there a while, and decided i'd had enough.  i headed for the shore, and discovered that no matter how hard i swam, the shore was getting farther away.   i had read that you should just swim parallel to the shore, which i did, until i worked my way out of the current.  it worked for me. 

[Aussieroaming]

RIP fella

[stevenl]

14 hours ago, Swedenlars said:

Sadly this is happening since decades in Phuket. There should be more warnings about these dangerous underwater currents. Sometimes there are red flags or signs. But many tourists ignore them. Once you are dragged out there is no way back. Not for the best swimmer in world. What would be useful kind of survial technique: How to react if it happens to you ? The only chance you have once you get dragged out: Do not resist. When you feel the current weakens, try to swim to the left or right. Good luck.

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So there are warnings, tourists ignore them so there must be more warnings.

 

"Once you are dragged out there is no way back. Not for the best swimmer in world." Once you are dragged out just swim perpendicular to the current, and when it gets weaker swim back. You state this yourself later on.

 

Senseless.

[Swedenlars]

So there are warnings, tourists ignore them so there must be more warnings.
 
"Once you are dragged out there is no way back. Not for the best swimmer in world." Once you are dragged out just swim perpendicular to the current, and when it gets weaker swim back. You state this yourself later on.
 
Senseless.

Well, maybe to complicated for you. Just read some articles in the internet. Regards from a former seaman.

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[DrTuner]

I think this is a yearly event, a Russian drowns at Karon. Always same time of the year.