Russian survives deadly car plunge from cliff in Phuket

A Russian man escaped death after his car fell from a clifftop tourist lookout on Phuket and plunged into the sea.
He was rescued last night on rocks off the holiday island’s coast.

Phuket police said the dramatic 250-metre plunge downhill came about 11.30 pm from Pa Dang, the site of Phuket’s only wind-power turbine and a popular leaping spot for paragliders.

The Russian man known only as Nikolai was driving in his Honda Jazz and with unknown cause, the car ran out of the cliff and fell into the sea.

Investigators are waiting for the Russian man to recover so they can question whether he drove off the road by chance or intended to kill himself.

”It’s amazing that this man survived a long drop down the hill into the sea,” a policeman said.

Police said it was unclear yet whether Nikolai was a tourist who misjudged the path down from the wind turbine or an expat down on his luck.

Charity Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation rescuers and local council officers took two dinghies out about 11.30pm last night and found ”Nikolai” in bad condition on a rocky outcrop, but alive.

A fisherman saw and heard the car’s plunge and made a call for help.

Airbags deployed as the car hit the water, the rescuers said.

Meanwhile doctors at Vachira Phuket hospital said the Russian man suffered slight injuries considering the height of the car’s plunge.

Thai PBS

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