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Koh Samui, Surat Thani - A foreign tourist died in a diving accident off Koh Samui Wednesday while another was in a serious condition. Both were suspected to have succumbed to decompression sickness, also known as the bends.
There was no immediate information available to determine the cause of the death, as seven other foreign tourists who were also diving in the same area were unharmed. The body of the dead tourist and the injured diver had reportedly been taken to a naval facility in Surat Thani.
Sakchai Chaithawat, head of the communications centre of a coastal rescue and safety centre, said he received an SOS call from nine tourists who were diving close to a boat they had rented from a local tour agent anchored about 120 nautical miles northeast of Samui.
After receiving the call, a Navy patrol boat handed over both bends sufferers to a rescue boat that took them to a nearby oil rig which had a pressure chamber. One of the tourists later died.
4:40 AM - 4/9/2006
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