A MAN who was at the controls of a speedboat involved in the death of a young diver off Phuket has been arrested and charged with manslaughter, police said today.
The man has been granted bail pending completion of the investigation into the circumstances of yesterday's fatality, said Colonel Kaithong Jantongbai, Superintendent of Chalong Police Station, in southern Phuket.
The parents of tourist Hitomi Shibata, who was killed off Phuket on her first ever sea dive, are to fly from Japan to Phuket to claim her body, a friend of the family told Phuketwan today.
Ms Shibata died instantly when she was struck by the propeller of a speedboat as she rose to the surface off Racha island, a popular dive spot about 40 minutes' travel from Phuket.
The 22-year-old and three male friends arrived on Phuket for a diving holiday on May 2 and intended to stay for a week.
Ms Shibata and one of her friends did their land-based dive course training and were on their first sea dive yesterday off Racha Noi - the island is also known as Raya.
Police were told by her companion that the pair had been in the water for 40 minutes when the time came to surface. Her ''buddy'' diver said Ms Hitomi struck the underside of the boat, and he tried to pull her back under, but could not.
She was struck in the face by a propeller and died instantly. Her body was recovered from the ocean bottom and carried back to Chalong pier. It is now in Vachira Hospital Phuket, in Phuket City.
Ms Shibata's other friends were more experienced divers who were looking forward to diving off Phuket once their learner-friends had passed the dive course.
They were later told of the tragedy while waiting at their resort, the Royal Paradise Hotel and Spa in Patong.
The thoroughness of boat captain training and the absence of clearly enforced ''safety zones'' at the popular Racha dive spots has been questioned and remains a continuing safety issue in the Phuket diving community.
Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha is due to meet Japan's Ambassador to Thailand tomorrow to hand over a cheque for the large amount raised on the island to aid victims of Japan's March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Phuket Police Probe Japan Dive Tourist's DeathThe man has been granted bail pending completion of the investigation into the circumstances of yesterday's fatality, said Colonel Kaithong Jantongbai, Superintendent of Chalong Police Station, in southern Phuket.
The parents of tourist Hitomi Shibata, who was killed off Phuket on her first ever sea dive, are to fly from Japan to Phuket to claim her body, a friend of the family told Phuketwan today.
Ms Shibata died instantly when she was struck by the propeller of a speedboat as she rose to the surface off Racha island, a popular dive spot about 40 minutes' travel from Phuket.
The 22-year-old and three male friends arrived on Phuket for a diving holiday on May 2 and intended to stay for a week.
Ms Shibata and one of her friends did their land-based dive course training and were on their first sea dive yesterday off Racha Noi - the island is also known as Raya.
Police were told by her companion that the pair had been in the water for 40 minutes when the time came to surface. Her ''buddy'' diver said Ms Hitomi struck the underside of the boat, and he tried to pull her back under, but could not.
She was struck in the face by a propeller and died instantly. Her body was recovered from the ocean bottom and carried back to Chalong pier. It is now in Vachira Hospital Phuket, in Phuket City.
Ms Shibata's other friends were more experienced divers who were looking forward to diving off Phuket once their learner-friends had passed the dive course.
They were later told of the tragedy while waiting at their resort, the Royal Paradise Hotel and Spa in Patong.
The thoroughness of boat captain training and the absence of clearly enforced ''safety zones'' at the popular Racha dive spots has been questioned and remains a continuing safety issue in the Phuket diving community.
Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha is due to meet Japan's Ambassador to Thailand tomorrow to hand over a cheque for the large amount raised on the island to aid victims of Japan's March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Latest Police are investigating the death of a young Japanese woman who was struck in the head by a propeller while diving off Racha. The fatal incident came as she surfaced.
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This is truly a sad waste of such a young life. My heartfelt condolences go out to the family.
Yet another prime example of touring in a country where health and safety laws are ignored and flouted just for personal gain.
The release, on bail, of the driver of the speedboat is an insult to the poor girl and her family.
When will the Thais understand that 'mai pen rai' doesn't work in the real world - it costs lives.
Posted by Graham on May 5, 2011 15:12
Editor Comment:
Not all Thais take a 'mai pen rai' approach. To ascribe a single attitude to a whole nation is myopic. In most countries, people charged with manslaughter are given bail.