PHUKET: Doctors are continuing to fight to save Russian swimmer Gym Kho Kay, who was rescued from the surf on Phuket on Sunday.
The 32-year-old remains in intensive care at Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket City. He has shaken off pneumonia but remains in a coma and on life support.
Lifeguards and other swimmers pulled him from the surf at Karon beach on Sunday, a day that marked the fourth drowning at Phuket's west coast beaches in four days.
Gym Kho Kay was first taken to Patong Hospital, the only hospital on Phuket's holiday west coast, then transferred to Vachira Phuket. It's understood that his wife is a frequent visitor.
The Phuket Lifeguard Service rigged cords with red flags attached across dangerous parts of 13 Phuket beaches yesterday, effectively declaring those stretches closed to swimmers.
Phuket has two kinds of dangerous rips, the currents that can pull swimmers out to sea. One kind is a permanent rip that is always in the same spot, the other kind is a travelling rip, found in different spots depending on the daily conditions.
Phuket's seas at this time of the year, the onset of the monsoon season, are usually in any case unsafe for all but the strongest swimmers.
The contract for the Phuket Lifeguard Service, extended temporarily for one month for budget negotiations with the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation, has been extended now for the 10 months remaining in the budget year.
Having to renegotiate the contract each year is considered to be a handicap to better training and a more committed team of lifeguards.
With four drownings in the space of four days, beach safety on Phuket will inevitably be a point of discussion when ambassadors from Europe and Australia meet the Minister for Tourism and Sport in Bangkok on Friday to discuss Phuket.
June 25 Phuket's lifeguards string red flags across dangerous stretches of 13 Phuket beaches, effectively closing the most dangerous parts of the beaches.
June 24 Phuket authorities react by holding a crisis meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall in Phuket City.
June 23 Phuket man Peerapon Nunark, 19, becomes drowning number four in four days when he disappears beneath the surf at Layan beach. Russian Gym Khao Khay is pulled from the surf at Karon in a coma.
June 22 Indian tourist Ramesh Chand Singhal, 49, goes into the surf at Kata with a bodyboard and drowns.
June 20 Two drownings within one hour as Belgian Laurent Jacques Leopold Wanter, 42, drowns at Laem Singh beach and Aleksande Poleshchenko, 29, drowns soon after at Patong beach.
June 19 Chinese tourist Chen Peng, 36, dies afterv being struck by a speedboat propeller in the water at scenic Pileh Bay, near Phi Phi.
June 18 Chinese tourist Ran Li, 23, drowns on a day-trip outing to Racha island.
June 14 Eighteen European envoys meet on Phuket and request more effort to improve marine and beach safety.
May 29 Chinese Ambassador Guan Mu makes a strong public plea on Phuket for more warnings - at the airport, at resorts and at beaches - to save more lives.
May 28 A Young Chinese tourist drowns on a day-trip from Phuket to Pai island.
May 21 British tourist Jeremy Thomas O'Neill, 37, is found dead on Patong beach about 6am. It is believed he may have misjudged the strength of the waves in darkness.
The 32-year-old remains in intensive care at Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket City. He has shaken off pneumonia but remains in a coma and on life support.
Lifeguards and other swimmers pulled him from the surf at Karon beach on Sunday, a day that marked the fourth drowning at Phuket's west coast beaches in four days.
Gym Kho Kay was first taken to Patong Hospital, the only hospital on Phuket's holiday west coast, then transferred to Vachira Phuket. It's understood that his wife is a frequent visitor.
The Phuket Lifeguard Service rigged cords with red flags attached across dangerous parts of 13 Phuket beaches yesterday, effectively declaring those stretches closed to swimmers.
Phuket has two kinds of dangerous rips, the currents that can pull swimmers out to sea. One kind is a permanent rip that is always in the same spot, the other kind is a travelling rip, found in different spots depending on the daily conditions.
Phuket's seas at this time of the year, the onset of the monsoon season, are usually in any case unsafe for all but the strongest swimmers.
The contract for the Phuket Lifeguard Service, extended temporarily for one month for budget negotiations with the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation, has been extended now for the 10 months remaining in the budget year.
Having to renegotiate the contract each year is considered to be a handicap to better training and a more committed team of lifeguards.
With four drownings in the space of four days, beach safety on Phuket will inevitably be a point of discussion when ambassadors from Europe and Australia meet the Minister for Tourism and Sport in Bangkok on Friday to discuss Phuket.
Phuket's Shocking Monsoon Marine Death Toll 2013
June 25 Phuket's lifeguards string red flags across dangerous stretches of 13 Phuket beaches, effectively closing the most dangerous parts of the beaches.
June 24 Phuket authorities react by holding a crisis meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall in Phuket City.
June 23 Phuket man Peerapon Nunark, 19, becomes drowning number four in four days when he disappears beneath the surf at Layan beach. Russian Gym Khao Khay is pulled from the surf at Karon in a coma.
June 22 Indian tourist Ramesh Chand Singhal, 49, goes into the surf at Kata with a bodyboard and drowns.
June 20 Two drownings within one hour as Belgian Laurent Jacques Leopold Wanter, 42, drowns at Laem Singh beach and Aleksande Poleshchenko, 29, drowns soon after at Patong beach.
June 19 Chinese tourist Chen Peng, 36, dies afterv being struck by a speedboat propeller in the water at scenic Pileh Bay, near Phi Phi.
June 18 Chinese tourist Ran Li, 23, drowns on a day-trip outing to Racha island.
June 14 Eighteen European envoys meet on Phuket and request more effort to improve marine and beach safety.
May 29 Chinese Ambassador Guan Mu makes a strong public plea on Phuket for more warnings - at the airport, at resorts and at beaches - to save more lives.
May 28 A Young Chinese tourist drowns on a day-trip from Phuket to Pai island.
May 21 British tourist Jeremy Thomas O'Neill, 37, is found dead on Patong beach about 6am. It is believed he may have misjudged the strength of the waves in darkness.
they should have 3 or 5 year contracts
Posted by Michael on June 26, 2013 20:26