PHANG NGA, Thailand – A Russian man, while traveling back from a trip to the Surin Islands in Phang Nga, lost control and threw his 13-year-old son overboard from a speedboat. Tragically, the son was struck by the boat’s propeller and died from the injuries.
According to reports, on January 22, around 4:00 PM, the Kuraburi Police Station was alerted by the crew of a boat transporting tourists from the Surin Islands. They reported that a person had fallen off the boat and was injured. The boat was about 200 meters away from Koh Ra, Moo 3, Koh Phra Thong, Kuraburi District, Phang Nga, and was heading to the Kuraburi Pier. Authorities were dispatched to the pier, where they found the injured child, a 13-year-old Thai-Russian boy from Nakhon Phanom. The child was rushed to Kuraburi Chai Phat Hospital, where he later died.
The boat’s crew had already apprehended the alleged perpetrator, Artem Bugorskiy, a 45-year-old Russian man and father of the boy. It was revealed that Bugorskiy deliberately threw his son into the sea, which led to the child’s fatal injuries. Police took Bugorskiy into custody for questioning at Kuraburi Police Station.
According to the boat captain’s testimony, at around 3:00 PM, they had departed from the Surin Islands with 33 passengers, including 17 Thais and 16 foreigners, along with five crew members. While nearing the Koh Ra-Koh Phra Thong Islands to drop off passengers, the captain noticed Bugorskiy getting up from his seat and walking toward his son. He then used both hands to grab the child, lift him, and push him off the side of the boat near the bow. Bugorskiy subsequently jumped into the sea after him.
The captain immediately stopped the boat and tried to circle back to help, but Bugorskiy refused assistance and declined to return to the boat. The crew then rescued the boy, who was floating in the water, and brought him aboard. He had severe injuries, including cuts to his face and head, likely caused by the boat’s propeller. The crew performed first aid before rushing him to the hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries.
Based on the collected evidence and witness statements, the police have credible grounds to charge Bugorskiy with intentional murder. Authorities have warned that, being a foreign national, he may attempt to flee the country. Bugorskiy was informed of his legal rights and, through an interpreter, denied the charges against him.
