Aussie teen narrowly survives horror accident in Thailand after tour boat reverses over the 13-year-old
Kiah Bell-Parsons, 13, was left with serious injuries after a boat reversed over her while she was swimming at a popular holiday destination in the Southeast Asian country.
Family friend Gabrielle Donato told news.com.au that Kiah had been onboard a tour boat near Phi Phi island with her mother, Nat, and sister before they were let off to snorkel in an area 'very busy with boats'.
'Nat was still on the boat...and during that time, another boat reversed over Kiah while she was snorkelling,' Ms Donato told the publication.
Kiah suffered injnuries including a broken eye socket, a fractured skull, and a large laceration to her face.
Ms Donato said there was 'so much blood' in the water following the incident.
'At that point, Nat thought (Kiah) was dead,' she told news.com.au.
The 13-year-old was rushed to a medical facility on the island before she and her family were taken to the mainland, with Kiah eventually transported to a private hospital.
'Kiah is over there now and will be over there for quite a while until she's given clearance,' Ms Donato told the publication.
A GoFundMe page has since been set up to provide the girl's family with support following the accident has been shared by Randwick netball community pages on social media.
'We would like to take a moment to acknowledge the challenging situation that Kiah Bell-Parsons and her family are facing after a recent boat accident in Thailand,' the GoFundMe page reads.
The 13-year-old is a 'valued member' of the Randwick netball community, and her mother and sister have also been active in Kiah's local club, the page said.
'This is a tough time for them, and I believe that coming together as a team can provide some comfort and support,' it said.
'Your kind words and gestures can mean so much during times like these. Let's show Kiah and her family that they are not alone in this difficult journey, and that we stand with them as a united community.'
The fundraiser had already raised over $28,000 as on Wednesday morning.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Smartraveller website says Thailand has introduced stricter scuba diving and snorkelling-related regulations.
It advises Australians travelling to the country to question adventure tourism operators about their qualifications and safety policies.
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