UPDATE
THE BODY of a tourist from Kuwait has been found and searchers are looking for a second man, from Egypt, missing after a whitewater capsize. A person at a whitewater rafting company said the capsize took place between 11am and noon. An Egyptian woman and a Kuwaiti man were treated at a hospital and allowed to return to their resort in Patong, on Phuket.
Original Report
PHUKET: Two tourists are believed to be missing after a whitewater capsize in Phang Nga, the province north of Phuket, according to reports coming to Phuketwan today.
A spokesperson at Phang Nga Hospital said that two people, rescued after the capsize, are now being treated at the hospital.
Police and rescue organisations are searching for two other tourists, lost today near Baan Songprag in what's believed to be a whitewater excursion.
Tour companies based on Phuket often take groups of Phuket tourists north to Phang Nga for an adventurous day trip of whitewater rafting.
Although round inflated rafts are usually used in the whitewater, sources say the four tourists were in a less stable canoe.
Heavy monsoon rains yesterday over the Phuket-Phang Nga region dumped massive amounts of water, making streams and creeks flow at probably unprecedented levels.
The Phuket-Phang Nga whitewater season begins with the monsoon downpours of June and runs through the wet season until November.
A 22-year-old tourist from Scotland drowned whitewater rafting in Phang Nga August 2006.
About 12 months earlier, Australian Rachel O'Neill, 29, drowned when she fell out of a raft and was trapped underwater by rocks.
Just type on Google: white water rafting federation association... and you will find that many countries around the world, especially in Europe, Nort-America and New-Zealand have their own federation and associations with regulations and training courses up to Instructors to have safe fun.
Professional whitewater guides have training in rescue, First Aid and CPR as we have the same as Scuba Diving Instructors.
In Thailand, anyone without any knowledge and proper training is able to open a whitewater business and get a TAT license.
In Thailand, the lack of proper official organization such as federation and associations put at risk the life of tourists who suppose they are in safe hands with local people.
Posted by Whistle-Blower on June 8, 2012 16:28