Speed Boat Returning to Phuket Crashes into Rocks Killing 5-Year-old Russian Girl

A five-year-old Russian girl has died and seven others injured when their speed boat collided with rocks while returning to Phuket. The boat driver and the attendant were also injured.

The twin-engine boat collided with rocks on Koh Mai Thon island “at high speed” as it returned from the Phi Phi islands to Phuket at around 3.20 p.m. on Sunday. At the time, neither the weather nor the waves posed any hazard to boats.

According to Phuket marine police, the five-year-old Russian girl died in the incident, and five other Russian visitors were injured, three of whom have already been released from hospitals.

A 45-year-old Russian woman had her liver perforated and her pelvis fractured. A Russian man’s lungs had ruptured, and a three-year-old Russian youngster had a brain injury.

Police have stated that they are awaiting the results of drug tests on the driver and attendant of a speedboat that collided with rocks off the southern island on Sunday afternoon, killing a Russian girl and wounding nine others.

Somsook Samphanprateep, Phuket’s deputy health chief, said on Monday that an initial test on Natthawut Wongwilai, 41, revealed the presence of an amphetamine-like drug. However, officials were yet to identify the specific chemical.

The Apirak, the speedboat’s attendant, also passed a drug test, the results of which are now pending.

Russian Man Charged in Phuket

Meanwhile, a Russian man was detained and charged with attempted murder after slitting his mother’s throat at their home in Thalang district.

Police were called to Thalang Hospital after a foreign woman was admitted with critical injuries following a knife attack on Friday evening.

The woman, 46, suffered slash and stab wounds to her throat. During her interrogation, she penned a message to police claiming that the attacker was her son.

When investigators arrived at the house, they discovered bloodstains all over the living room and a bloodstained kitchen knife on the floor.

Soon after, the investigating team was notified by tourist police that a foreign male had come at their office and appeared lost. According to tourist police, his description matched that of the suspect.

The arresting officers took the suspect to the Thalang police station for questioning, where he allegedly made contradictory accounts.

He faced attempted murder charges. The suspect was being jailed at Thalang police station for further legal proceedings.