Student drown swept off of wreck - Thailand

[DandyDon]

Student diver dies on Sattahip shipwreck - Pattaya Mail - Pattaya News, Communities, Opinions and much more...

A scuba-diving student drowned taking a course on Sattahip’s current-swept Hardeep shipwreck.
Poonsak Thipburin, 39, was on a course with 20 other Thai and foreign students at the 26-meter-deep shipwreck off Samae San Feb. 10 when the Nakhon Pathom native apparently tried to surface and was swept away and drowned.
Royal Thai Navy ship 112 recovered the body and returned it to a navy pier in Sattahip and, after, Sattahip Km. 10 Hospital.
Instructor Siriwat Rukthum, 38, said his student had been training for a week.
The Hardeep, a freighter sunk in World War II, sits between two headlands and is often subjected to vicious currents that even experienced divers can find tricky.

A little different version at: Diver Drowns In Sattahip

PATTAYA – February 10,2015 [Pattaya Daily News]; at 17.00 pm V.ADM.Sucheep Wangmaitree-commander of the royal Thai navy region 1- and director of national conserving property- were notified that a tourist diving around Juthathip ship which was 16 meters in depth near Rongkhon and Rongnang islands had drowned. Plus, he was washed away from the group. Therefore they ordered patrol boats to search for him before the officers found the body and took him to shore.

Later Pol.Lt.Kanjanapat Pattaweesuta-inspector of Sattahip- went to inspect the body of Mr.Poonsak Thipburin aged 39 who was a car technician. The officers took the body for an autopsy to find out the real cause of death at Sattahip hospital.

Pol.Lt.Kanjanapat said that the deceased was an amateur diver and he was washed away from the group before he drowned.

Mr.Siriwat Raktham aged 38 who is the diving instructor said that the man was an amateur diver and while they were diving the visibility was very poor and it was really dangerous so he signalled him to return to the surface and when they got to the surface he was missing. He then tried to search for him but he couldn’t find him so he decided to notify the rescue team.

 

[Peter69_56]

Just came back recently from the Hardeep wreck. Its in about 25 m water and current swept. A good dive for experienced divers but can be a hard wreck to get down the line with current running. Also the vis can be a bit ordinary at times. The dive operator we went with would always make sure the current was minimal or would not dive it.

 

[scottwilson1]

I dove there in November and going back in march - I didn't notice much current but were on the deck side - i was told the other side has some major current.
That sucks - wonder which dive op took them

 

[Jan Kruger]

Bad viz and strong current will be tough for most divers . Sad to read about this . Wonder where the dive bud was ? Also battling the conditions ? 20 divers make up a big group. Did they dive as one group ? 25 Metres dive is quite deep ...condolences to his family.

 

[drdaddy]

I did this dive a couple of years ago, but was worried because a couple of newbies were on the dive with us and the divemaster was not close to them, so I was (feeling) responsible for them. With the strong current, if they had broken loose I would have gone after them and hopefully kept them from shooting up. But it wasn't my job!!! Anyway, it was not a fun dive and would not do it again.

 

[АлександрД]

Student diver dies on Sattahip shipwreck

The story is more than what was reported. Always is when a Thai is involved in the mix and damaged because of a Thai.

The student finished his Open water class the past week and was on hard deep with his former instructor. Instructor was back on the boat drinking tea/coffee when was asked about his buddy (student) and they found the body on the wreck. Reports looked like lung expansion caused his death. "Uncomfirmed Reports"