After ignoring warning signs at the Ngao Waterfall in Ranong Province, a 22-year-old Uzbek, who had traveled with five other tourists and has walked along a nature trail then climbed up cliffs to take pictures.
The area is slippery and has danger signs with climbing prohibited. He then fell from about 15 metres to the rocks below, suffering fatal head injuries.
Mr. Bannarak Sermthong, Director of the 4th Conservation Area Administration, reported that at around 12.50 hours, officers of the park rescue service received a notification of the accident. They found the victim lying unconscious in a stream, with the five friends performing first aid but he was unable to be revived.
The incident highlights the need to observe danger signs, and take a careful, rather than reckless, approach in exploring waterfall s or nature trails. This is most important after periods of rain when surfaces may become very slippery with moss coverage.
Locally at the Pala-U waterfall, National Park staff have a very safety oriented approach with closures when the conditions become too dangerous. However warning signs and the advice of staff on hand must be observed to ensure that serious incidents such as the Ranong fatality do not occur.
