Both rescues, one at Karon Beach and the other further north at Surin Beach, happened at about 3:30pm on Sunday (June 30).
Rachen Phuntarakit, Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) at Karon Municipality, which is responsible for both Kata Beach and Karon Beach, told The Phuket News that a foreign woman was caught in a rip at Karon Beach and dragged out to sea at 3:30pm.
“Lifeguards were told by people at the beach that a tourist had been washed away from the beach in front of the Karon Stadium [at the southern end of the beach],” Mr Rachen said.
With the woman already too far from shore, officers stationed at the Marine Safety Unit based on Karon Beach took a jet-ski out and recovered the woman, he explained.
“She was suffering from exhaustion, and officers called an ambulance to take her to the nearest hospital for treatment,” Mr Rachen said.
“The reason for this incident is that she went swimming in the water where red [no-swimming] flags were posted to mark there were strong waves,” he said.
However, Mr Rachen was unable explain whether the woman was a tourist or expat, her nationality, age, name or any other details as he said he did not have that information.
Meanwhile, literally at the same time, another person was being rescued at Surin Beach, Somjit Kumpai, head of the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) rescue team, confirmed today.
“We received a call at 3:39pm to provide assistance to a man who was very weak after being pulled from the strong surf there,” Ms Somjit told The Phuket News.
“Our report notes the man’s name as Wanchalerm Sata, 25 years old. Volunteers at the beach pulled him from the water. His condition was very weak,” she said.
“We don’t know why Mr Wanchalerm needed rescuing. We don’t know if he was a tourist or a local,” Ms Somjit explained.
“Our team took him by ambulance to Thalang Hospital. At last report he was still receiving medical treatment there. After that, we don’t have any more information about him,” she said.
The lack of information about the rescues not only highlights the dire issue of Phuket not having trained lifeguards. It also highlights that lack of contact persons to pass on critical warnings or report any drownings or rescues carried out in saving tourists’ lives.
The most recent surf-danger warning came from the International Surf Life Saving Association (ISLA), which after contacting the trained and qualified lifeguards at Nai Harn Beach issued a “High Surf Warning” for the Andaman Sea amid dangerous southwest monsoon conditions on June 23. (See story here.)
Early last month, the head of the Phuket Lifeguard Club, whose trained and qualified lifeguards patrol Patong Beach, warned tourists that the change in weather from heavy rain to blue skies overhead did not mean that the surf was safe to enter.
All beach-goers were urged to exercise caution as the southwest monsoon began to churn the surf along the west coast, creating strong waves and moving flash rips.
“Now we are in the monsoon season, and the waves can be dangerous. There are strong waves at every beach. Please play in the water in safety zones marked with yellow– red flags, and stay close to lifeguards for safety,” Phuket Lifeguard Club Chief Prathaiyut Chuayuan told The Phuket News. (See story here.)
Lifeguard protection at other beaches, however, remains fragmented, with many beaches still yet to hire lifeguards to patrol the sands to prevent beach-goers, mainly tourists, from being caught in the flash rips and strong surf.
Only last month did Daren Jenner, the ISLA Marine Safety Officer for Phuket, issue an ominous warning for surf safety at Phuket’s beaches as the southwest monsoon starts to take hold along the island’s popular west coast beaches.
“As one former Phuket lifeguard captain put it, ‘It’s already too late’. The window to hire, train, and deploy Phuket's upgraded lifeguard force this year is closed and locked tight,” Mr Jenner pointed out. (See story here.)
The current state of Phuket’s patchwork – and at some beaches altogether lacking – lifeguard patrols has been the norm since 2017, when Norraphat Plodthong, the Phuket Governor at the time, ordered all local administrations to organise their own lifeguards. (See Special Report here.)
The Phuket News first learned of the two rescues on Sunday through tip-offs via social media, one by a witness who was concerned that Mr Wanchalerm rescued at Surin beach may not have survived. No official reports even mentioned that any tourists’ lives had been in danger.
Meanwhile, the Phuket Marine Office has issued a weather warning for today through Thursday (July 2-4), following a weather warning issued by the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD).
Waves along the Andaman coast are forecast to reach two to three metres high waves, and up to three metres during thunderstorms.
All small boats were urged to stay ashore and for all larger boats operating in the area to pay attention to weather forecasts.