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The Russian tourist in a Phuket hospital after being sliced

Phuket Parasail Speedboat Slices Tourist Swimmer at Beach

Sunday, December 14, 2014
PHUKET: A Russian tourist has been sliced by a parasail speedboat while swimming off a Phuket beach, a resort owner confirmed today.

Sombat Athiset, of the Katathani Phuket Beach Resort, said the incident took place off Kata Noi beach on December 10.

''The guest's leg was badly cut by a parasail speedboat and he was taken to Mission Hospital in Phuket City by our staff,'' Khun Sombat said.

The swimmer has been identified as Sergey Kuzennyy, 55. He was enjoying the water about 5pm when struck by a speedboat towing a parasail customer, Phuketwan has been told.

Photographs taken of Mr Kuzennyy's wounds show the distinctive slicing pattern of a propeller.

The incident comes with the future of jet-skis and parasail speedboats being hotly debated on Phuket.

Zoning introduced at Patong beach is supposed to protect swimmers from the dangerous vessels.

But many tourists do not know and are not being told that zones exist and continue to enter the water to swim in the jet-ski zones.

The Chief of Marine Office 5, Phuripat Theerakulpisut, said today he was aware of the speedboat hitting the swimmer at Kata Noi beach but said that zoning had yet to be introduced at that beach.

''My staff is still investigating,'' he said. It was not immediately clear whether parasail speedboats are permitted to operate at Kata Noi beach.

The swimmer dived under water about 15-20 metres off the beach and was struck by the speedboat as he surfaced, according to a witness.

''The speedboat was hauling a parasailer and could not stop even if they realised that they'd struck a swimmer,'' the witness said.

The speedboat operation is believed to be continuing without any contact between the driver and the man he struck.

News of the incident on Thursday appeared for the first time yesterday in the Thai media.

It was at a meeting in Phuket City on Thursday that Governor Nisit Jansomwong backed the trial zoning plan for jet-skis and speedboats for Patong beach. He added that any operator who broke the new rules would quickly lose their licence.

Marine Office 5 oversees the operation of jet-skis and speedboats on Phuket.

The neighboring provinces of Phang Nga and Krabi ban jet-skis. The machines were due to be phased out on Phuket over seven years but the present governor's predecessors tolerated compromises and allowed numbers to grow despite continuing reports of scams over insurance and extortionate claims for damage.

Parasails are considered to be even more dangerous than jet-skis, with take-offs and landings that continue on many Phuket beaches.

Russian tourist Nikolai Nefedov, 51, was struck by the propeller of a parasailing speedboat while swimming at Kata beach in December, 2011. One foot was badly cut. His leg was also hit.

According to a Phuketwan report at the time:

Near-misses are frequent at Kata, Karon and especially at Patong, where a new plan was announced at last week's meeting between government officials and Phuket honorary consuls to try to segregate the jet-skis and speedboats from the swimmers.

Comments

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He himself should investigate! Or does he feel to 'high in position' to investigate himself?
There should be no zones for boats/jet skies at public Phuket beaches ( like in other provinces)beaches.
If, for 'understandble reasons' this machineries need to continue in Phuket beaches, do not provide them zones, but just small marked 'channels' for sailing from beach to open waters, away from beach swim areas. NCPO, this another blow for Phuket tourisme? Where is NCPO? When all this tourist damaging activities of Phuket authorities stop?

Posted by Kurt on December 14, 2014 14:52

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Perhaps the Phuket Governor can take time out of his busy schedule and visit the gentleman in the hospital. After all, the boat was operating because the Phuket government, which he represents, refuses to fully support the law that would keep commercial marine operations away from the beaches, especially high powered boats operated by unskilled drivers.

Posted by Ryan on December 14, 2014 15:00

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Let me guess the boat owner will get a final warning and be told don't let it happen again...

Posted by Syd on December 14, 2014 15:08

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The present segregation the jet skies and speedboat from the swimmers is not working. I did say that already many times. Machineries not need wide zones, just small 'channels'( 25 meter wide) to open water beyond swim areas. And at the 'beach gate' of such channels should stand a beach guard to prevent swimmers to enter water in such 'channels'. Marine Office 5 does not handle matters professional. Accidents prove that. So, which thai authority is saying now: I am responsible? Waiting..

Posted by Kurt on December 14, 2014 15:10

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Here we go.. Get ready for another final warning.

Posted by LivinLOS on December 14, 2014 15:12

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Ryan, that is wish full thinking. Marine office 5 already commented that just for that beach the zoning was not implemented, so Phuket government escape responsibilities regarding this accident. God may knows why this beach was exempted so far of the general ruling and make Phuket government not feel responsibility.. We never will know. NCPO should investigate why a Phuket Government department not did anything for that beach ( efforts) to prevent this drama. It is a shame.

Posted by Kurt on December 14, 2014 15:23

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I certainly do not want to see anyone get hurt but Maybe it will take a family member of some government official that gets injured before they finally wake up..

Posted by sky on December 14, 2014 15:32

Editor Comment:

Thais are not great beachgoers. You could be waiting a long time.

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Now even 'quality tourists', (Katathani Phuket Beach Resort) are not safe at Phuket beaches. I hope the owners of Kathani Phuket Beach Resorts claim Phuket government responsibilities on behave of their guests.

Posted by Kurt on December 14, 2014 15:37

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How many people have to be killed to maimed before the authorities take note & ban these amateurs operating dangerously in public areas? There is overwhelming support for a total ban - not unanimous but a large enough majority to carry most votes.

Posted by Logic on December 14, 2014 15:43

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Who actually paid the hospital costs in such a case?

Posted by steve on December 14, 2014 16:00

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This was an accident waiting to happen. It is surprising that it took so long for it to happen.I have seen these parasailers in action around xana beach club as well, and although i didn't see them yesterday afternoon, it was another appalling sight on the beach, with at least 10 jetski boys, gathering together and "attacking" everybody,and trying to get people to have a ride on these machines.And while i was watching these tactics for a while, i was so relieved to see them getting no business from nobody, whatsoever. I guess, that is the only solution to stop these people from putting others live's in danger. Do not use their services. Full stop.

Posted by Carl on December 14, 2014 16:01

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MR. NIcokay, I wish you little Pain & best and speedy recovery. (And all the Bills paid by Thailand, or better by Chief nr. 5

Posted by phuketgreed on December 14, 2014 16:18

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Hello
I visit phuket every year for the past 5 years.
Aboud 10 times i have seen people nearly geting killed from parasailing speed boads, in phuket beaches. They are very degerus and operait with no safety rulls.
I keep reading aboud swimmers zones. Way swimmers zones, and not water-sport zones
I am a water sport sped boat oprator in europe, and in europe and as far as i now all over the world, there are woter sport zones at the beaches, whear they are well marked with a rolle of boys, and swimmers do not swim in this small aereas. So 90 present off the beach its left for the swimmers, and 10 present for the activetes. That way everione is save, and people dont get bothered or killed.
Sorry for my english, i am trying by best. Than you!

Posted by Peter on December 14, 2014 18:21

Editor Comment:

Thanks you, Peter.

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The zones are a problem. The jet ski and parasaler will not have so many customers if they are not present on the whole beach. This situation will never change, unless all are banned on the island.

Posted by steve on December 14, 2014 19:09

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The fine will be a gentle slap on the driver's right hand by the Phuket governor and another one on left hand by Khun Puriphat on the left hand before going to drive again as nothing happened.

Posted by Whistle-Blower on December 14, 2014 19:44

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So because zoning hasn't been introduced yet the marine office doesn't have an issue with this incident. I would have said unbelieveable but what's the point?

As the Gov appears to consider that the current 'regulations' for parasails and jetskis is OK I guess there will be no further action.

Apathy rules- we all know what 'my staff is investigating' equals.

Posted by Mister Ree on December 14, 2014 20:54

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Here we go again - Inwonder if this will be a "misunderstanding" or if the speedboat captain will cry and be let off.

Dear oh dear oh dear

Nothing will happen of course - still far too much money to be made.

As others have said - if people stop using these services they will go away - at Patong beach the other day there were queues of people waiting for their 2 minutes in the parasails.

Posted by Amazing Thailand on December 14, 2014 22:35

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MARINE NR. 5. Please do keep your VOW!

Posted by phuketgreed on December 14, 2014 23:34

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Parasails and jet-skis are actually not allowed on Kata Noi, the companies operating there have no license but the police is always looking away and marine office seems not interested in following up.

Posted by Jakub P. on December 15, 2014 00:21

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I am surprised there is no mention of an extortionate claim for damage to the propeller .....

Posted by Geoff on December 15, 2014 08:23

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"Thais are not great beachgoers"

Good that fact is established now.

Posted by Sherlock on December 15, 2014 11:18

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Fifteen years ago, my neck was burned by a parasail tow-rope, this week another tourist injured by a propellor, nothing changes as long as local authorities are too weak to enforce the law.

Posted by Anonymous on December 15, 2014 11:58

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warned of just this event in a post days ago this one didn't end in a death
zoning will be a failure any propelled craft near shore endangers other user groups tourists wake up, no demand be no supply and no problems.

Posted by slickmelb on December 15, 2014 12:18

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The zones are not made to protect swimmers but to protect jet skis.

As long as zones are not implemented, every incident will be explained by the The Chief of Marine Office 5 with: "we did??nt have time to zone that area yet, so the accident does??nt count"=No blame on the jet skis.

When the zoning is ready, every accident inside the zone will be blamed on the swimmers, because they are in the jet ski zone. Again no blame on the jet skis.
The jet ski can continue to operate and to extort money tourists.

Posted by PhuketFriendly on December 15, 2014 14:00

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Terrible, Terrible, Terrible! Just completed nearly 6 weeks at Karon Beach!
Jet Ski & Parasailing guys disregarding any safety rules. Marked zones are for the "eyes only". Jet Ski guys pick up customer from ever part of the beach and riding among swimmer! Several near miss every day! What changes have been made compare to 2013? One Mafia was replaced by another? Monitored last week when Police Officer who attended the beach, look to the left and the business was going on at the right. Unbelievable!!!
Who can stop this nighmare before someone got killed? This should be a wake up call for those who me come into political led next election!

Posted by X5 on December 19, 2014 02:37


Sunday November 3, 2024
Horizon Karon Beach Resort & Spa

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