Pattaya —
A Pattaya senior marine officer confirmed that there was only one jet ski involved in the double fatality of an 8-year-old boy and a 35-year-old jet ski rider, contrasting to initial reports that there was another jet ski driven by a man with an Indian appearance involved.
First our previous story:
Now for our update:
The 8-year-old boy who survived the drowning and was hospitalized later passed away at a local hospital due to his grievous injuries. He was reportedly seated in front of the driver, Mr. Pornsuwan Phumnok, who was showing him how to drive, according to Ekkarat Khantharo, director of the Pattaya marine office.
Mr. Pornsuwan had given his life jacket to the boy. The jet ski was hit by waves and overturned, claiming Mr. Pornsuwan’s life from drowning.
Initial reports stated that the victim’s jet ski collided with another jet ski driven by a man with an Indian appearance who fled the beach after the incident. However, Ekkarat confirmed that only one jet ski was involved after checking CCTV recordings around the beach and further questioning the jet ski owner.
Thai media reported that the dead boy’s grandparents hired a jet ski rider to take him for a ride at a cost of 500 baht. They then got hit by waves and overturned at 8 PM about 30 meters from the shore.
Usually, jet ski services should be halted at 6 PM to avoid accidents as regulated by the Marine Department, but certain operators often contravened the order.
The owner of the jet ski, who was not identified, was also found in possession of two unlicensed jet skis, including the one driven by the deceased rider and the one used to rescue the drowning boy. He was fined 20,000 baht (10,000 for each machine).
It is unclear what other legal action police would pursue against the owner.
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