Patong Surf Life Saving reported that two people had already been safely recovered from dangerous rip current at the beach on Monday when the third man was found unconscious in the water.
Red flags had been posted where it was deemed unsafe to swim, and lifeguards had already walked along the beach warning people that it was dangerous to enter the water in the areas marked by red flags. A ‘safe swim’ area had been marked by yellow-red flags.
Lifeguards brought the foreign man to shore at about 1:10pm, but he was unconscious and unresponsive. Lifeguards began CPR and continued until an ambulance arrived to rush him to Patong Hospital.
Lifeguards later learned that the foreign man had regained a stable pulse and had been transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town for further treatment.
Patong Surf Life Saving praised doctors at Patong Hospital for their efforts, and noted that the nursing support team were “extremely helpful”.
Also thanked for the help were Patong Municipality lifeguards, beach operators and employees, the Patong members of the Kusoldharm Foundation as well as Bussba, or P’Kheaw, of Enterprise Massage Patong Beach, who recorded the rescue show that it could be shared.
The post marking the rescue was marked with hashtag: “#Miracles are real”.
Longstanding Patong lifeguard Jula Nontree also praised expert trainers for helping local lifeguards identify where dangerous rip currents are present so they warn beachgoers and prevent more deaths.
Lifeguards at Patong Beach rescued 84 people from dangerous rip currents in August alone, with three of those rescued needing to be rushed to hospital.
Throughout the month, the lifeguards also attended to various other incidents, including providing first aid for stings by sea creatures, injuries caused by sharp objects in the sand, accidents during water play, and fainting episodes.
During the month, they also helped clean oil off four tourists during the oil spill episode last month, and provided vital educational lectures on drowning prevention to Kindergarten 2 students at a local Patong school.