PHUKET: A British man who claims he coughed up 200,000 baht in a Phuket jet-ski pay-off says he feels ''lucky to be alive'' after crashing into a speedboat off Patong.
Sports reporter David Rimmer, 50, says he suffered bruised ribs, injuries to a leg and a swollen ankle after being allowed to set out with no proper training from the popular Phuket holiday beach on February 9.
He recently returned to Britain and told local media of his misadventure. When I put the throttle on it was stop-starting and then suddenly got going.
''It [the jet-ski] went really quickly and before I knew what was happening, I was going towards the shore,'' he told readers through local newspapers in Britain.
''I was approaching all these people and I veered around them and hit the boat. No-one else was hurt, which is the most important thing.''
Jet-skis usually stop almost immediately unless the driver's hand is locked on the throttle.
Mr Rimmer was helped by two Australian nurses, who happened to be on the beach, and was taken to hospital to be checked over, newspapers reported.
He was also questioned by Phuket police, who get involved when incidents happen on the beach, in relation to the damage to the boat and the jet-ski. He was ordered to pay 250,000 baht, the equivalent of about 4700 pounds.
Mr Rimmer managed to negotiate this down to 200,000 baht and said: ''What added to the stress was trying to get the money out.''
Mr Rimmer arrived back in Britain last Sunday with his friend, Martin Beedell, 48, who witnessed the ''horrendous'' crash.
''He [Mr Rimmer] was out of control. He didn't know what he was doing. To avoid the swimmers he went into the speedboat and to save their lives he nearly killed himself. He hit the speedboat at 20 or 25mph.
''At first I didn't realise it was David, it was all so fast.I saw a man walking along the beach and then I twigged that it was him. It was just horrendous. He took a bad hiding.
''It was amazing that he missed everyone considering that he didn't know how to negotiate the jet ski and a miracle that he saved his own life.''
Under a campaign overseen by Phuket Governor Maitree Intrusud recently, all Phuket jet-ski hirers are supposed to make sure that holidaymakers know how to ride before boarding the vehicles.
It is also claimed by authorities that insurance now covers damages incurred, and that the most a person will be asked to pay is the 16,000 baht cost of the jet-ski being out of the water for repairs.
In this case, it's possible that some of the extremely high cost may have gone towards a new paint job for the speedboat or perhaps the police officer's favorite charity.
Mr Rimmer added: ''The most important thing is I didn't kill anyone or hurt anyone and I lived to tell the tale. You shouldn't do sports unless you are very adept and I'm not.''
Sports reporter David Rimmer, 50, says he suffered bruised ribs, injuries to a leg and a swollen ankle after being allowed to set out with no proper training from the popular Phuket holiday beach on February 9.
He recently returned to Britain and told local media of his misadventure. When I put the throttle on it was stop-starting and then suddenly got going.
''It [the jet-ski] went really quickly and before I knew what was happening, I was going towards the shore,'' he told readers through local newspapers in Britain.
''I was approaching all these people and I veered around them and hit the boat. No-one else was hurt, which is the most important thing.''
Jet-skis usually stop almost immediately unless the driver's hand is locked on the throttle.
Mr Rimmer was helped by two Australian nurses, who happened to be on the beach, and was taken to hospital to be checked over, newspapers reported.
He was also questioned by Phuket police, who get involved when incidents happen on the beach, in relation to the damage to the boat and the jet-ski. He was ordered to pay 250,000 baht, the equivalent of about 4700 pounds.
Mr Rimmer managed to negotiate this down to 200,000 baht and said: ''What added to the stress was trying to get the money out.''
Mr Rimmer arrived back in Britain last Sunday with his friend, Martin Beedell, 48, who witnessed the ''horrendous'' crash.
''He [Mr Rimmer] was out of control. He didn't know what he was doing. To avoid the swimmers he went into the speedboat and to save their lives he nearly killed himself. He hit the speedboat at 20 or 25mph.
''At first I didn't realise it was David, it was all so fast.I saw a man walking along the beach and then I twigged that it was him. It was just horrendous. He took a bad hiding.
''It was amazing that he missed everyone considering that he didn't know how to negotiate the jet ski and a miracle that he saved his own life.''
Under a campaign overseen by Phuket Governor Maitree Intrusud recently, all Phuket jet-ski hirers are supposed to make sure that holidaymakers know how to ride before boarding the vehicles.
It is also claimed by authorities that insurance now covers damages incurred, and that the most a person will be asked to pay is the 16,000 baht cost of the jet-ski being out of the water for repairs.
In this case, it's possible that some of the extremely high cost may have gone towards a new paint job for the speedboat or perhaps the police officer's favorite charity.
Mr Rimmer added: ''The most important thing is I didn't kill anyone or hurt anyone and I lived to tell the tale. You shouldn't do sports unless you are very adept and I'm not.''
A 50 yo complaining about "being allowed to set out with no proper training "
Surely he is old enough to make a decision for himself..ie "i don't know how to control a jetski,so i won't rent one" instead of going ahead and doing so, then suffering the inevitable, and then wanting to pass the blame to the operators...
Posted by Andre on February 21, 2014 12:16