Thirteen people were injured, two seriously, when two speedboats collided off Larn Island last week.

The accident occurred when the captain of the Larn Island Parasail boat, Wirod Keokanok, was apparently occupied with watching the para-sailor behind him and rammed broadside into a tour boat carrying 16 Hong Kong tourists and 2 Thai tour guides.

The splintered wreckage of the Phorn Phut Chat lies mostly submerged off the coast of Larn Island. The tour boat was rammed by a parasail boat, injuring 13, two seriously.

Wirod said that he didn’t see the tour boat until it was too late.

Prasong Methakul, a tour guide from the Hong Thai Citizen Service Ltd., who was a passenger in the boat carrying the tourists said, “We were heading in a direct line to the shore as the para-sail boat was running at high speed parallel to the shore. The driver of our boat tried to steer clear, but the para-sail boat struck the right side our boat and capsized us.” Several passengers were thrown overboard upon impact.

The tour boat driver, Thewin Saengkim received minor injuries, but the boat was badly damaged and sank. The accident occurred 500 meters from shore.

Other tourist boats in the area quickly responded and began assisting the injured prior to the arrival of the coastal police.

The injured were transferred to Pattaya Memorial Hospital for treatment. Eleven people were treated and released. However, two women, Leong Mui Kuai and Kuok Un Leng, are still in a coma. The two Hong Kong women were apparently under water long enough to stop breathing and needed resuscitation to bring them back to life.