saramiller
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were they alive?
Two missing Thai divers in Sattahip, Thailand
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Hi - for those that don't read it, this is the latest from the blurb in the Thai forum (and I can't guarantee that any of this is correct and please feel free to correct any factual inaccuracies on my part, I know about as much as anyone at the moment!) Sadly sara, both divers died.
To summarise: the student and instructor went missing in May during a training dive out of Samaesan harbour - either on or near to the Hardeep shipwreck (nobody can be clear about this; there are other dive sites in the area). The student's body was found at approximately 48 metres in the aforementioned Samaesan hole; along with a fin believed to belong to the missing instructor. The instructor's headless corpse was recently recovered, it seems after reports of human remains being found in a fishing net. A lot of wild speculation as to the origin of these remains goes off on a different tangent but it seems to have led to the recovery of the instructor's body.
I don't have a clear answer as to whether or not they were on a regular dive or a deep tec training dive. The Samaesan hole, being one of the deepest (80 metres ish) and most accessible locations suitable for tec in that region is used for that purpose by probably every diver centre on the eastern seaboard of Thailand. There is also the possibility that Samaesan's infamous currents pulled unprepared divers into the hole.
Light is rarely shed on this sort of stuff by the Thai authorities, however this incident involves Thai divers and therefore a little more graft (pun absolutely intended) may go into the investigation. For Thai contributors to this forum I mean no disrespect - I lived and worked there for three years and I love the place and the people, but I don't think anybody who's ever been there for a while could disagree!
Anyway - I hope that's useful,
Safe diving,
C.
To summarise: the student and instructor went missing in May during a training dive out of Samaesan harbour - either on or near to the Hardeep shipwreck (nobody can be clear about this; there are other dive sites in the area). The student's body was found at approximately 48 metres in the aforementioned Samaesan hole; along with a fin believed to belong to the missing instructor. The instructor's headless corpse was recently recovered, it seems after reports of human remains being found in a fishing net. A lot of wild speculation as to the origin of these remains goes off on a different tangent but it seems to have led to the recovery of the instructor's body.
I don't have a clear answer as to whether or not they were on a regular dive or a deep tec training dive. The Samaesan hole, being one of the deepest (80 metres ish) and most accessible locations suitable for tec in that region is used for that purpose by probably every diver centre on the eastern seaboard of Thailand. There is also the possibility that Samaesan's infamous currents pulled unprepared divers into the hole.
Light is rarely shed on this sort of stuff by the Thai authorities, however this incident involves Thai divers and therefore a little more graft (pun absolutely intended) may go into the investigation. For Thai contributors to this forum I mean no disrespect - I lived and worked there for three years and I love the place and the people, but I don't think anybody who's ever been there for a while could disagree!
Anyway - I hope that's useful,
Safe diving,
C.
The headless body is not the Instructor. Information got from the police indicated that the body has red underware, but the instructor wared swimsuit + long wet suit.
Until now, we're still not found the Instructor.
Until now, we're still not found the Instructor.
Ex-Aquanaut
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Who is "we"?
I figured it probably was him based on the fact the timing of the body in the water was right and the fact he was found on the island closest to where the accident happened....
I figured it probably was him based on the fact the timing of the body in the water was right and the fact he was found on the island closest to where the accident happened....
Headless body may be that of missing dive instructor
Pattaya Mail - Vol. XVII No. 27 - Friday July 3 - July 9, 2009 News
Pattaya Mail - Vol. XVII No. 27 - Friday July 3 - July 9, 2009 News
Patcharapol Panrak
In fishing villages like Samae San, locals are used to having the sea often give back ones it has taken. A month ago the ocean claimed the life of a Thai dive instructor. Last week, it may have given back his headless body.
Former village headman Jarey Maihom found the corpse on the beach at Rong Kohn Rong Nang Island near where 35-year-old Wiwat Tiranakornkul disappeared May 10. The body was badly decomposed and missing its head. However there was still skin on the back, which showed a large flower tattoo. It was taken to Sattahip Hospital where authorities will try to identify the remains.
Sattahip Pol. Capt. Bandit Techawong said the body could be that of any one of several people, but that there was a good chance it was Wiwat’s, as examiners said the body had been in the water for at least a month. Police will contact relatives to have them try to identify the tattoo.
Wiwat, of Bangkok’s Dive Evolution, was teaching an advanced diving course with four students when one, 25-year-old Pote Sawangwongsaree, reportedly panicked while trying to clear water from his mask. Three students surfaced while Wiwat went to rescue Pote. The student’s body was found May 13 nearly 50 meters deep on a reef near the popular Hardeep shipwreck and the same day one of Wiwat’s white dive fins was recovered.
The Royal Thai Navy deployed a plane, search vessel and divers in the search, which was assisted by local dive operators. But after two weeks, his body was not found. Wiwat’s relatives even invited a psychic from Trang to pray for the sea to give up the body. On May 25, the family conceded and held a funeral ceremony at a Bangkok temple. After seven days of mourning, the rock from Rong Kohn Rong Nang, seen as a vessel for the man’s soul, was to be cremated.
In fishing villages like Samae San, locals are used to having the sea often give back ones it has taken. A month ago the ocean claimed the life of a Thai dive instructor. Last week, it may have given back his headless body.
Former village headman Jarey Maihom found the corpse on the beach at Rong Kohn Rong Nang Island near where 35-year-old Wiwat Tiranakornkul disappeared May 10. The body was badly decomposed and missing its head. However there was still skin on the back, which showed a large flower tattoo. It was taken to Sattahip Hospital where authorities will try to identify the remains.
Sattahip Pol. Capt. Bandit Techawong said the body could be that of any one of several people, but that there was a good chance it was Wiwat’s, as examiners said the body had been in the water for at least a month. Police will contact relatives to have them try to identify the tattoo.
Wiwat, of Bangkok’s Dive Evolution, was teaching an advanced diving course with four students when one, 25-year-old Pote Sawangwongsaree, reportedly panicked while trying to clear water from his mask. Three students surfaced while Wiwat went to rescue Pote. The student’s body was found May 13 nearly 50 meters deep on a reef near the popular Hardeep shipwreck and the same day one of Wiwat’s white dive fins was recovered.
The Royal Thai Navy deployed a plane, search vessel and divers in the search, which was assisted by local dive operators. But after two weeks, his body was not found. Wiwat’s relatives even invited a psychic from Trang to pray for the sea to give up the body. On May 25, the family conceded and held a funeral ceremony at a Bangkok temple. After seven days of mourning, the rock from Rong Kohn Rong Nang, seen as a vessel for the man’s soul, was to be cremated.
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