Russian tourists rescued after jet-ski incident

PHUKET: Two Russian tourists were safely rescued from an island off the coast of Karon Beach last night after their rented jet-ski died mid-ride and was pulled out to sea.

“A rescue team was sent out after being notified by the jet-ski owner that two tourists had disappeared after an hour,” said Itthiporn Sangkaew, deputy mayor of Karon.

“Rescuers took out two jet-skis in rough waves to look for them. Fortunately, they were safe on Koh Poo, about two nautical miles from Karon’s shore.”

The tourists, named by rescue workers as Engle, 29, and Eleena, 24, told rescuers that the engine of the jet-ski died while they were riding, and that the large waves and strong wind dragged them over to the island.

Related news

“They rented the jet-ski at about 5pm. It was about two hours before rescuers found them,” said Mr Itthiporn.

Mr Engle and Ms Eleena, who sustained only minor cuts and scrapes during the accident, expressed their thanks to the officers.

Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuriphat Theerakulpisut has since urged tourists to be careful in the rough sea conditions.

“Tourists should be very careful and take care of themselves, especially during the rainy season. Please do not risk your lives,” he said.

— Thawit Bilabdullar

Phuket News

Thaiger Talk

Join the conversation and have your say on Thailand news published on The Thaiger.

Thaiger Talk is our new Thaiger Community where you can join the discussion on everything happening in Thailand right now.

Please note that articles are not posted to the forum instantly and can take up to 20 min before being visible. Click for more information and the Thaiger Talk Guidelines.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Legacy Phuket Gazette

Archiving articles from the Phuket Gazette circa 1998 - 2017. View the Phuket Gazette online archive and Digital Gazette PDF Prints.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Check Also
Close