American man who fell through roof at Full Moon Party in critical condition
Friends and family of an American man who was seriously injured at a Full Moon Party have launched several GoFundMe campaigns to raise money for his treatment and repatriation. The man remains in critical condition at Bangkok Hospital in Bangkok after falling through a roof in the wee hours of the famous party on Haad Rin Beach in Koh Pha Ngan.
The 26-year-old American man had recently graduated from nursing school in Florida in the US and was celebrating with an extended trip around Thailand. After some time in the north, he met up with his partner and travelled south to Koh Pha Ngan to attend the Full Moon Party. At one point in the night, the pair were briefly separated, during which time it appears he attempted to climb onto a beachfront roof to observe the party with a bucket – the large cocktails Full Moon Party is famous for.
Investigators believe that when the American man set down his drink and tried to sit down on the roof, one concrete roof tile gave way, and he fell through about four or five metres to the floor of the empty property below. His partner searched for him for hours, assuming he had wandered off in the party somewhere. Fortunately, someone witnessed and reported the fall to police who were able to cut through the locks and barriers of the closed property to find the man unconscious inside.
Medics transported the American man to a nearby clinic for x-rays and evaluation and then by speedboat with his partner to Koh Samui hospital for further treatment. The next day he was transferred again to the larger Surat Thani Hospital where he remains in the ICU now.
He suffered from several broken bones including several pelvic and skull fractures and some bleeding in his brain that has now stopped. Though mostly unconscious, his partner reported the injured American man was able to correctly respond when asked to hold up two and four fingers. Medical professionals have suggested treatment at Siriraj or Bumrungrad Hospitals in Bangkok, best equipped to operate on a brain injury, and arrangements are being made to travel today by low-flying Cessna Medivac to avoid the air pressure of standard aviation heights on his skull.
While the man does have some insurance, so far his family has been unable to confirm how much will be covered for the costs to transport him for treatment, which can be up to 5.5 million baht. Two close friends who also work in the medical field with the American man have set up GoFundMe campaigns to raise money and are asking anyone able and willing to contribute to help the tragic situation.
