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khonthakek


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sad story in Vangvieng
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Husand drowns and wife mugged in Laos while on honeymoon
Husband drowns on honeymoon river adventure in Laos

• Wife finds body after three days of searching
• Floating inner tubes swept away by swollen waters



A honeymoon ended in tragedy today when a woman found her new husband's body in a Laos river, three days after he went missing.
Michael O'Sullivan, 39, died while backpacking around Asia with his wife, Ilana James. The couple had saved up for their honeymoon since marrying in November last year. Their family said they had always dreamt of travelling the world together.
On Thursday, the pair went on a "tubing" adventure on the Nam Xong river in Vang Viang, northern Laos.
Floating down the river on giant tractor inner tubes is a popular activity in the region, described by the Lonely Planet guide as "one of the rites of passage of the Indochina backpacking circuit".
But the river they were tubing on had swelled dangerously because of the rainy season. All 20 tourists on the trip were separated and locals ran to the river banks with ropes and sticks to help them out. Everyone but O'Sullivan, from Cork, Ireland, was rescued. He had not been wearing a lifejacket.
After being pulled from the river herself, his wife drove up and down the river bank with the tour operator, stopping at bridges in the hope of throwing a rope to rescue her husband, but had to give up when it became too dark. On the way back to her hotel, she was mugged and her passport stolen by a man on a motorbike.
She spent the next three days searching for her husband, hiring boats and scouring the banks.
At 1:30pm local time today, she found his body in the river.
One of his seven siblings, Pennie O'Sullivan, paid tribute to her brother, a bar and restaurant manager who was "adored by everyone".
She said: "At first, we all thought we would find Michael, that he would walk out of the jungle or would be found clinging to a rock. But as each hour passed, our hopes dwindled.
"We are so shocked by his death. Michael was the joker of the family. He was very funny and had so many friends. He was adored by everyone."
The O'Sullivan family are angry that the activity went ahead despite the dangerous conditions. She said: "I want to raise awareness of the grave dangers that are associated to these types of tours on the Nam Xong river. We have heard that many people go missing from this river, we don't know exact details but we want to know why tourists are put in such a dangerous position in the peak of the rainy season with no lifejackets.
"The Nam Xong river is the primary tourist revenue stream for Laos, but at what cost? We hope that our story will help save other people in the future."
The Rough Guide warns readers planning to go tubing on the Nam Xong: "Before you grab your tube and race for the river, take note that a few people have drowned tubing down the river, which is swift in spots; it's quite easy to become temporarily separated from your tube. If you can't swim or are a weak swimmer, wear a lifejacket while tubing – the shops supplying the inner tubes should provide them."
O'Sullivan met his wife, who is from New Zealand, in England about five years ago when they both worked in a bar in Welwyn Garden City. The couple married last year and moved to Ireland. They headed off on their travels in June this year, and had already visited India, Malaysia and Thailand.
O'Sullivan's brother John is travelling to Vang Viang to meet the authorities and bring his brother's body back to Ireland. Today, he criticised insurers who he said had refused to pay out on the $1,000 costs that were incurred during the search for his brother.



-- Edited by khonthakek on Thursday 24th of September 2009 02:53:43 PM

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SeeHarHed


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It happens every year in Vung Vieng.  Those falung needs to be little smarter and knows their surrounding.  First of all, what are you doing in the river when it is pouring rain and water level is high??  Secondly, why the hell aren't you wearing the life vest?  I'm pretty sure alcohol and drug are probably had alot to do with the action.  All them tourists under estimate those rivers in Laos.

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Anonymous

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My heart goes out to his wife and family for their lost.  Hope this be a lessons for all those who wish to go tubing in vangvieng in the future to take necessary precaution and use common sense.

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Anonymous

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authorities should impose that all river tubing operators should have life jackets equalt in number to their "tubes" and that  all tourist should undergo a standard professional briefing prior to the activity so that whatever happens, those tourist will have no reason to blame lao river tubing operators, and the responsibility will be transferred to the individual tourist. Also, authorities should also have some sort of standard protocol on when tubing activity will be allowed, it could be based on water level of the river or the etimated amount of rain downpour per inch (there is a scientific calculation for this and weather department should know that. This means that there should be close collaboration with the weather bureau and tourism department. Both parties have their own responsibilities, its not only the laotian tourism to blame.

This and other similar incidence only reflects the lack of coordination between government departments... defragmentation.



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Anonymous

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freck accident...it can happen anywhere at anytime....maybe nang naga pulled him down.

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khonthakek

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Anonymous wrote:

freck accident...it can happen anywhere at anytime....maybe nang naga pulled him down.



yes. i saw  Naga, it looks like tiger head Lol



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Anonymous

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What a sad story. It was supposed to be a great time for them.
But who to blame? no one wants this.
My heartfelt sorry to his family....

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Anonymous

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Sadly, Vang Vieng is out of control.  Booze, drugs and reckless behavior are the norm in this once promising piece of paradise.  Tourists loose their common sense here and the locals are too busy trying to squeeze every dollars from the foreigners to notice how it  all has gone crazy.  It is so low class.

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Tobias G


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Anonymous wrote:

Sadly, Vang Vieng is out of control. Booze, drugs and reckless behavior are the norm in this once promising piece of paradise. Tourists loose their common sense here and the locals are too busy trying to squeeze every dollars from the foreigners to notice how it all has gone crazy. It is so low class.



Yes! I have been to Vang Vieng many years ago before it gets more
and more popularity. It is really unspoiled by massive tourists
and very beautiful like I was in heaven that time.

 

But the last year? ........................


 








There are very few Lao tourists in the area because things
are more expensive to welcome only Farlang. Hey, this is Laos
Why can't Lao people enjoy Vang Vieng like the same way
in many years ago, the land which always belongs solely to Laos
How sad! and they don't treat Lao people as well as they do to Farlang
I think you guys have an idea what I am going to say ..... 
Last two month there was even a topic complaining about pollution
in Vang Vieng from a young Thai tourist.


(there are more ......)

As I predict earlier that Laos will be suffered by neo-globalisation
because Laos is inexperienced to this matter. But Luang Prabang
is always the same that makes me nostalgic to go there and meet
my ex-girlfriend again. (I think she already has husband but
good luck to her LOL I will always support her no matter what we are)

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niya


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