Tourist, 32, killed after falling 100ft down Thai waterfall
- 6 years ago
A Czech tourist fell 100ft to his death while posing for a picture at the same waterfall where actor Paul Nicholls was stranded.
Jiri Barta, 32, travelled to the beauty spot with a group of eight other holidaymakers, including one Briton. The man shuffled to the edge of a cliff next to the Khun Sri waterfall while a friend took a photograph. But Jiri lost his footing and plunged to his death in front of his horrified pals at around noon.
Friends clambered down and desperately battled to resuscitate him - while his heart was still breathing for 15 minutes - without success. Rescue workers arrived a short time later and he was pronounced dead at the scene before being taken to hospital for a post mortem examination.
Devastated friend Miss Romana Uassara, 30, said the group had arrived in Thailand on February 5 and they had rented five motorcycles to travel around the island.
She said: ''We were just admiring the beauty of the waterfall and he walked over to the edge for a picture. The edge is so steep and he fell onto his back. It took a long time for his body to hit the bottom. I don't know why. We went down and he was still alive. We tried to do CPR and asked for help from villagers in the neighbourhood.''
Boonchai Wannawatchanasuntorn of Koh Samui's tourist police, said rescuers spent five hours negotiating the deadly terrain to retrieve the body.
He said: ''There is a sign in both Thai and English barring people from entering, but tourists keep ignoring it.''
Jiri Barta, 32, travelled to the beauty spot with a group of eight other holidaymakers, including one Briton. The man shuffled to the edge of a cliff next to the Khun Sri waterfall while a friend took a photograph. But Jiri lost his footing and plunged to his death in front of his horrified pals at around noon.
Friends clambered down and desperately battled to resuscitate him - while his heart was still breathing for 15 minutes - without success. Rescue workers arrived a short time later and he was pronounced dead at the scene before being taken to hospital for a post mortem examination.
Devastated friend Miss Romana Uassara, 30, said the group had arrived in Thailand on February 5 and they had rented five motorcycles to travel around the island.
She said: ''We were just admiring the beauty of the waterfall and he walked over to the edge for a picture. The edge is so steep and he fell onto his back. It took a long time for his body to hit the bottom. I don't know why. We went down and he was still alive. We tried to do CPR and asked for help from villagers in the neighbourhood.''
Boonchai Wannawatchanasuntorn of Koh Samui's tourist police, said rescuers spent five hours negotiating the deadly terrain to retrieve the body.
He said: ''There is a sign in both Thai and English barring people from entering, but tourists keep ignoring it.''