The incident occurred at around 1:45pm and was reported to the authorities at 2:20pm.
According to Pol Lt Col Thapapon Paengphimlo of the Patong Police, the victim was rushed to Patong Hospital but succumbed to their injuries shortly after.
The deceased were identified as Mr Liu Hongchao, 32, from Henan Province, and Mr Lyu Zhifeng, 28, both Chinese nationals from Henan Province.
An initial investigation revealed that three Chinese tourists ‒ one woman and two men ‒ had rented jet skis near Loma Park.
Each tourist operated their own jet-ski and ventured nearly a kilometre offshore before the collision occurred. The collision resulted in severe injuries to both men, while the woman was uninjured.
A jet-ski rental employee, identified only as ‘Mr Boy’, recounted that he had become concerned after the group exceeded their rental time. He set out on another jet-ski to locate them and discovered the aftermath of the collision.
“The two jet-skis had collided, and one person was severely injured,” he explained.
Immediate first aid, including the application of ice packs, was provided while waiting for an ambulance from Patong Hospital to arrive.
Mr Boy noted that while jet-ski accidents are rare, a similar incident occurred some six to seven years ago, but in that incident strong waves were a contributing factor in that case, unlike today.
Police are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision, and emphasised the importance of safety precautions for tourists participating in water activities.
MARINE OFFICE
The Phuket Marine Office has reported that it has begun an investigation to determine the facts surrounding the incident and promised to provide further updates as soon as possible.
Phuket marine officials have already confirmed that the registration of one of the jet-skis involved in the collision expired last Friday (Jan 10).
Regardless, the Phuket Marine Office has instructed Bangkok Insurance to arrange compensation of B100,000 for the deceased.
Legal action will be taken against the owner of the unlicensed jet-ski, including the issuance of a fine of B10,000, the Phuket Marine Office said in its report.
The area where the incident occurred, Patong Beach, is a designated zone managed according to regulations set by the Phuket Provincial Committee.
“This zone is organized to accommodate 170 jet-skis available for rent,” the report noted.
Of note, jet-skis at Patong Beach were inspected as part of a month-long crackdown on unregistered jet-skis being rented out to tourists.
The crackdown, ordered by Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat, discovered more than 72 illegal jet-skis being rented out to tourists, with the Phuket Marine Office collecting more than B720,000 in fines.
SAFETY
The collision comes as the Thai government tries to convince Chinese nationals that it is safe to travel to Thailand, and after 33 Chinese tourists were rescued from a sinking catamaran off Phuket yesterday (Jan 13).
“To enhance safety, the Phuket Marine Office is working in collaboration with relevant agencies under the direction of the Phuket Governor to strengthen water inspections and enforcement measures,” the Phuket Marine Office said in its report today (Jan 14).
“Patong Beach has implemented safety protocols in compliance with the Phuket provincial announcement regarding the management of jet-skis and parasailing boats. These measures include requiring customers to sign a rental contract before using services, providing safety instructions to tourists, and ensuring that all boats have first-class insurance coverage,” the report added.
“In addition to these protocols, the Phuket Marine Office conducts regular training sessions to educate operators, staff and employees about safety measures. The office also issues weather warnings to boat operators and other stakeholders to ensure they are aware of any potential risks,” the report concluded.
The deadly collision off Patong today follows a video of a parasail staffer falling to his death on Jan 5, with the video released publicly only last Friday, one day after Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra visited the island.
Ms Paetongtarn highlighted safety as a key issue in her bid to make Phuket a ‘Premium Tourism’ destination.
PM Paetongtarn’s call to boost tourists’ safety also followed police last month arresting a 25-year-old Austrian man on Phi Phi Island for riding a jet-ski that struck and killed a 58-year-old Russian man at Karon Beach.
The Austrian national, named by police as David Robert Herbst, was wanted for charges of reckless driving causing death, police said.