The very experienced lifeguards arrived after Australian Ambassador to Thailand Dr Angela Macdonald joined a ‘Collaboration in Water Safety’ event in Patong on July 25 to mark World Drowning Prevention Day.
World Drowning Prevention Day is marked each year on July 25 to increase awareness about preventative and safety measures, as well as highlight the tragic and profound impact of drowning on families and communities.
“Australia is a proud supporter of World Drowning Prevention Day in Phuket. Since our Consulate-General in Phuket was established in 2016, we have focused on supporting water safety measures on the island and will continue to do so. Thailand and Australia face common challenges and together we can share experiences and learn from each other to decrease drownings in both countries,” said Ambassador Macdonald.
Joining her as the on-the-ground support for the project was Matthew Barclay, the Australian Consul-General for Phuket.
The seminar panel discussed key issues relating to water safety, and one popular proposal was to support the new committee recently established by the Governor to implement and oversee beach safety standards. The audience consisted of hotel general managers, consular representatives, local government officials, swimming and lifesaving groups and non-profit organisations.
At the forefront of the water safety drive is Jayne MacDougall, Executive Director of the Phuket Hotels Association, who has organised water safety and lifeguard training in Phuket for more than 20 years.
“The impact of drowning on a family, a community and a destination are profound. Investing time and effort in training those at the frontline will prevent drowning and make Phuket a safer place for all. In 2023, the World Health Organisation is encouraging us all to ‘Do One Thing’ to save lives and prevent drowning. By taking simple steps, such as installing barriers near water, providing safe places for children, teaching swimming and water safety, and training hotel staff in first aid, we can save many lives,” Ms MacDougall said.
Phuket Vice Governor Danai Sunantarod, who officiated the opening ceremony of the event, held at the Holiday Inn Resort Phuket in Patong, noted, “Tourism in Thailand is coming back to recover, so the risk of tourists drowning is also increasing. “Phuket and its charm of the sea is attracting both domestic and international tourists, and the number of tourists coming is more than last year.
“However, during the rainy season, or the ‘monsoon season’ on the Andaman coast, there are unpredictable dangers that may arise from the sea… We still hear about deaths of tourists in popular beach areas, with tourists swept off rocks or swept out to sea by strong currents. This is a problem that must be taken seriously,” he said.
Vice Governor Danai’s warning of the dangers of Phuket’s surf at this time of year was echoed in the drowning death of a Senegalese man at Freedom Beach, south of Patong, just four days later. Within six days, four more people drowned at Phuket’s west-coast beaches.
Lifeguards and regular beach-goers for years have spoken out about tourists endangering themselves by ignoring red flags posted at the beach, marking where it is too dangerous to enter the water.
Following the spate of drownings earlier this week, a provincial order was issued on behalf of the Phuket Governor on Wednesday (Aug 2).
The order empowers police, Tourist Police and local officials to “support” lifeguards when it comes to people ignoring red flags on the beach and ignoring lifeguards’ warnings.
Meanwhile, the latest project to train hotel staff is hoped to prevent more deaths at Phuket’s key beaches.
Spearheaded by Phuket Hotels Association and led by professional trainers from Life Saving Victoria, the two-week series of intensive training sessions will be offered to hotel staff who work near swimming pools or beaches.
Before the training even began, more than 50 hotel team members had signed up so far to join the three courses, including security guards, waiters, sports staff and kids’ club supervisors.
“Following classroom sessions, the participants will train in the swimming pool and the sea to teach them exactly what to do in the event of an emergency. This will include water rescue, resuscitation and first aid techniques, with specific sessions on how to deal with incidents such as injured limbs, sunstroke, cuts and bleeding, choking, and heart attacks. Trainees will also be instructed how to check the sea conditions and look for potential hazards, such as strong currents,” Phuket Hotels Association explained in its announcement of the project.
“Two professional lifesaving trainers from LSV [Life Saving Victoria], both with extensive lifesaving experience in Australian pools and beaches, Peter Gibney and Jack Kennedy, have travelled to Phuket to conduct these intensive courses. They are being ably supported by two Phuket-based lifesaving trainers.
“This marks the latest example of Phuket Hotels Association’s strategy to improve health and safety at the island’s hotels and resorts, with properties regularly undertaking lifesaving and first aid training,” the association added.