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This is a very
sad tale and if you don’t want the rest of your day
ruined, then please don’t read further.
You can click
on any of the photo's on the left to get a larger view.
Those of you
who have been reading my stories know how I love living
here in Thailand but even here in paradise there can be
tragedy.
On Valentines
Day, 14th February, It was a normal day here in Thailand
with nice bright sun shin as I was on my way with Noi
and Black to Noi’s 4th driving lesson, driving past the
reservoir to the north east of the town when Noi told me
that she could see someone who appeared to be in trouble
down by the lake. I turned around to go back down the
short dirt track off the road leading down to the
lake-side where I found two young Thai men administering
chest compressions to two very young Thai boys, they
where between 8 and 10 years old, the young Thai boys
that is. Naturally I offered them a ride to the hospital
and the two boys were very quickly laid in the back of
my pick up truck with speed and some what with out
ceremony.
While in the
back of my pick-up truck I tried chest compressions and
mouth to mouth resuscitation quickly to the nearest boy
while the one of the young Thai men was working on the
other. His poor very innocent looking little face was
covered with pond weed looking as though asleep apart
from the very partially open eye’s, I am not accustom to
looking at the dead or near dead like so many of the
fantastic rescue worker in this world must be but at
that time I was fairly sure that this poor soul had
played his last prank. However despite this I there and
then, to my great surprise, I remembered the technique
from a school life saving course I took while earning
swimming badges some forty years ago. At this time it
seemed useless as the boy I was working on was totally
lifeless and I had no way of knowing how long they had
been fished out of the lake let alone how long they had
been under the water. By then a small crowd of people
had appeared - I understood that they where urging me to
go quickly to a hospital.
There were
other trucks already there on the site but nobody else
seemed to be offering any help, I considered getting
them to the hospital to be the best move as I was in no
way certain that I was doing any good with my first aid.
One of the two young Thai men was in the back still
administering chest compressions while I was doing my
level best to get to the hospital as quickly as possible
without killing us all. I have no idea who this young
man was, a friend, a relative - there was no time for
polite introductions, as for sure the boys’ lives
depended on quick action.
We had to pass
several road junctions that in the normal course of
driving are dangerous enough but while going as quickly
as possible with the lights on and the horn continually
blaring in the middle of the day was, to say the least,
a challenge. My years of driving and taking part in Hot
Rod races and demolition derby’s where paying off for
them in no small manor. I had to turn on to the main
road Sukhumvit at the end of Siam Country Club road
where in normal driving would have taken in the region
of ten minutes but I well knew that these boys could not
afford that sort of time, so on the wrong side of the
road it had to be. A ‘farang’ turning the corner facing
me issued a series of expletives in my direction to
which I had only one reply of just two syllables,
concerning sex and travel!! This poor bloke could not
of course see the desperate situation unfolding in the
back of my truck. I was hoping for a Thai policeman to
take notice of the situation especially because I had to
make a u-turn on the main road which is not the easiest
thing to do normally, let along in a situation like
this. Anyway, with my lights on and the horn continually
blaring the motor cyclists took the hint and made way.
Is it a fact of life or plain simple Murphy’s law that
there is never a policeman around when one is really
needed?
Having passed
one further main junction, against the lights, at
Pattaya North road we arrived at Pattaya Bangkok
Hospital at which time the hospital staff quickly rushed
the two lifeless boys into Casualty.
Noi gave the
young man some small cash so he could phone whoever he
needed to for whatever and we left, my job done. I felt
that I had done all I could possibly do – however, I am
a fearful the look on this young mans face really said
it all as I am fairly sure that the length of time was
far too great for anything to be done for the two
victims of this terrible incident. I took them to
Pattaya Bangkok Hospital because it was the nearest and
quickest to get to. Time, to say the least, was of the
essence.
* * * * * * *
The very best
of news
Later: At
11.48pm on 16th February 2004 I had the very best news.
It was on a late night Thai TV news programme.
Apparently both the young boys were revived at the
hospital and were then later moved to a hospital in
Chonburi, the provincial capital, no doubt because of
the cost of treatment at the Bangkok Pattaya private
hospital here in Pattaya. However the doctor was saying
that the boys were not yet quite out of the wood yet
since there is a strong possibility of brain damage due
to oxygen deprivation. I am so relieved that my actions
helped, not hindered - and that my mad dash through the
traffic did the trick or at least got them breathing
again. Let’s all hope for the very best of luck for them
both.
I will let you know here if I get any
more information. |
