Australian woman drowns while swimming in Phuket

[Jimbob]

From Yahoo!7news
This Illustrates the risk of tourists swimming in unfamilar waters even when a good swimmer. a meal and drinks did not help
Friend pays tribute to woman drowned off ThailandABC
July 8, 2011, 5:28 pm tweet0EmailPrint
An Australian woman who drowned in Thailand this week has been described as a generous friend and someone who will be greatly missed.

Jennifer Laidley's body washed up on a Phuket beach yesterday, confirming the worst fears of her family and rescuers.

The 44-year-old Canberra nurse had been missing since Monday night when she went for a swim at Karon Beach, which is notorious for having strong rips.

Her friend, Lisa Crosland, says seeing her body on the sand was traumatic.

"It was a horrific thing to have to observe and I just hope I never have to go through anything like that again. It's something you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy," she said.

The pair, who were on holiday together, made an impulsive decision to go swimming after having a seafood dinner and a few drinks.

Ms Crosland stayed close to the shore-line while Ms Laidley made a fatal swim beyond the breakers.

Ms Crosland says her friend will be greatly missed.

"I will remember Jenny as being a very happy, excitable girl," she said.

"She was one of my very good friends. I've know her for about 20 years and she has always been there for me as a shoulder to cry on. It's just a huge tragedy."

A search by the Royal Thai Navy, Marine Police and lifeguards began on Tuesday morning but proved futile.

Ms Crosland has criticised the search team for being too slow to respond, not using aircraft and incorrectly telling her they had discovered Ms Laidley's body earlier.

She says leaving Thailand marks the end of a horrible ordeal.

"I was itching to get out of Phuket. I touched down this morning on Australian soil and I started crying because I'm so grateful to be home," she said.

Ms Crosland will meet with Ms Laidley's family tomorrow to discuss funeral arrangements.

The ACT Health Directorate has offered counselling, care and assistance to staff who worked with Ms Laidley at Canberra Hospital.

[Spitfire]

Yeah, can be dangerous there and seems to be a steady stream of tourists ending up with this fate in a few places. Doesn't look good on the Navy and all either telling her they had found her friend only for her to randomly wash up someplace else later, looks a bit incompetent/insensitive on top of a slow reaction in the first place.

However, probably not the wisest course of late night activities to embark upon after a few drinks and dinner. The holiday euphoria must have got the better of them, many people do this sort of thing in lots of ways, not just this swimming one, motorbikes spring to mind as another example of the ill-judged things to do in a cavalier fashion while in exotic paradise holiday scenarios.

Sad story really, and won't be the last time we hear it either.

[Takiap]

I don't mean to be insensitive, but I really can't see how any blame can be pinned on the Thai authorities. Just imagine what Farang would have to say if The Thai authorities all of a sudden banned swimming after four in the afternoon, or made you take a breathalyzer test before being allowed on the beach.

Sometimes, when we do silly crazy things, we just have to shoulder the blame. After all, we're often saying the Thais don't like accepting responsibility, so let's lead by example.
I do feel for her friends and family, but if I meet my maker through my own carelessness, sympathy is is the last thing I'd be expecting.

[Spitfire]

That's pretty much what I was getting at in the second paragraph but said it in more of a round-about 'cushioned' way.

In the first paragraph about the Thais then really I was saying that if they found someone's body, and didn't know who it was, then they have discovered an unidentified body which needs to be identified by someone and should have just said exactly that, as opposed to employing assumption to make things easy. I guess I imagined that they (the Thai rescue services) assumed it was this woman's friend, told her quickly, and then it turned out to not be her friend and the woman had to go through it all again on a beach somewhere else.

Wasn't really blaming the Thais for the incident, perhaps they way they handled it, could be construed as a little blundering maybe. Then again, someone could just say that that's my western sensitivities though, which I'd accept.

Perhaps they could have said that a body has been found, but as yet unidentified, could you assist? Rather than tell it's your mate and come look at the body for us, then turns out not to be her. Sure you can see what I'm getting at.

On a more cynical note, then I'm surprised the cops didn't announce it was a suicide.