Relax - Stuck in tree after parasailing

Relax

News

Article

Two Malaysian tourists in Batu Ferringhi, Penang, would never have thought that they would be left high and dry on their holiday.

But that was exactly what happened to them on Wednesday.

One moment, they were soaring above other beachgoers while out parasailing.

And the next, they were stuck on a tree after a "botched landing", reported The Star.

The sight of Mr Leng Ket Shun, 20, and MrNgo Deng Soon, 42, dangling precariously from the tree alarmed some holidaymakers.

Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa communications director Suleiman Tunku Abdul Rahman said in a press release on Thursday: "One of the watersports operators attempted to scale the almost 8m-high tree to free the men, but our emergency response team and security personnel were concerned.

"They immediately alerted the Fire and Rescue Department and Civil Defence Department before placing cushions under the men."

And the two men fell "squarely on the cushions" before the authorities arrived.

The pair suffered minor scratches and bruises on their arms and legs.

Mr Suleiman urged the Penang Municipal Council to monitor watersports operators closely, saying: "Safety cannot be compromised. Mishaps can be fatal."

In response, local government and traffic management committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow urged operators to "take extra care", noting that too many mishaps involving waterscooters and parasailing have occurred at the popular beach.

He added: "We are mindful of the problem, but we allow these activities to continue because the tourists and hoteliers want it."

On Jan 13, a tourist claimed that parasailing in Batu Ferringhi left him and his son traumatised and bruised.

Mr Ehab Abunawas, 49, from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, said the beach boys had pestered him to take part in the activity and he gave in.

He claimed that there was no proper safety briefing before the flight and that the parasailing rope and hooks kept hitting him and his son while they were up in the air.

There were also several accidents in Batu Ferringhi during the Hari Raya season last year, the Sunday Mail reported last September.

A Form 4 student was hit by a water scooter while in the water and a 40-year-old woman was cut on her neck and arm after she got entangled in the rope of a parasail.

Although horse and quad bike activities have been banned on the beach since last January, water scooters and parasailing are allowed in demarcated zones.

This article was first published in The New Paper.

Stuck in tree after parasailing

The New Paper | Mon, Jan 30 2012

Malaysian tourists caught in branches in botched landing on Penang beach.

Keywords