Tourist Police stage sea rescue seminar

PATONG: Phuket Tourist Police held a seminar today on sea rescue techniques for 150 people, including officers and volunteers such as lifeguards, paramedics and others who work on the beach. In his opening address at the Royal Paradise Hotel, seminar chairman and Kathu District Chief Sutin Uthaitamrong emphasized the need for speed in alerting rescue organizations in the event of trouble and for there to be efficient communications between the various rescue groups. The seminar was followed by a practical demonstration at the hotel swimming pool, where the sea rescue team from Le Meridien Phuket showed how a person could be pulled from the water, and doctors and nurses from Patong Hospital demonstrated how to administer CPR. All those taking part in the seminar received certificates from the Tourist Police to verify they had been trained in lifesaving techniques. The seminar, an annual event, is particularly timely this year with three people drowning off Phuket beaches this month alone. The latest incident involved an eight-year-old Thai girl who drowned off Nai Harn Beach on Wednesday.