Tourist's skull in carry-on bag | Bangkok Post: learning

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Found unconscious on ground after fall from hotel room on Koh Tao island. Two weeks later he is back home in the UK with a quarter of his skull in a box.

Lee Charie survived a 7-metre fall from a hotel balcony in Koh Tao. (Photo: SWNS.com/Mail Online)

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Breakingnews

Tourist's skull in carry-on bag

1 Feb 2013

A British tourist who survived a 7-metre fall onto his head from a hotel balcony in Koh Tao has flown home with a quarter of his skull in his hand luggage.

Hotel staff found Lee Charie, 32, unconscious on the ground in December last year. He was taken to a local clinic then a hospital on nearby Koh Samui, where he was resuscitated after two days without showing any sign of life.

Doctors removed a quarter of his skull to give his brain space to recover from the fall.

Mr Charie flew home to Britain two weeks later with the missing part of his skull in a box. He was accompanied by a Thai doctor who helped take care of him during the flight.

Mr Charie can walk and talk again.

Surgeons in Britain plan to use the missing chunk of his skull as a mould to design a titanium plate which will cover the gap in his head.

"I can't remember falling - I don't even know if I fell,” Mr Charie told the Telegraph in a video interview.

My dad came over to Thailand and after two days I remember my head sinking into this dip which was where my skull was missing and I could not believe it.
It got me in tears thinking about what had happened. They had removed it weeks before. The skull was one of the first things to be taken out because it was all crushed up and just needed to be.

I was on so many different drugs then I did not realise they had removed it. I was confused and thought I was just on holiday having a good time.

I only realised a few weeks later when I met my dad that I had this dip. It was a big shock

I do not really want to think about it to be honest. Since I have been in hospital I have had about eight injections in each arm that I can remember and I can't stand it.

Mr Charie fell seven metres from a second floor walkway at the Tommy Resort in Koh Tao, smashing the side of his skull.

It is unknown whether he slipped off the balcony or was pushed.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Breakingnews, Tourist's skull in carry-on bag, 1 Feb 2013, link)

 
Accident Vocabulary

accident - when something bad happens and you get hurt (fall down, hit something, etc) อุบัติเหตุ

skull - the bones of the head กระโหลกศีรษะ
carry-on bag

Tourist's skull in carry-on bag

survived - continued to live or exist รอดมาได้
survived a 7-metre fall

balcony - ระเบียง
a hotel balcony

a British tourist survived a 7-metre fall onto his head from a hotel balcony in Koh Tao

quarter - 25%
a quarter of his skull

luggage - a large bag for carrting clothes and other things on a trip; baggage, suitcase  กระเป๋าเดินทาง
hand luggage - small bags that you can carry with one hand, carry on bags

the tourist was flown home with a quarter of his skull in his hand luggage 

staff - workers, employees พนักงาน
hotel staff - people who work at a hotel

unconscious - in a sleeplike condition, usually from an illness or injury หมดสติ
ground  - the land, the earth, not in the air ดิน, ผิวดิน,  ผิวโลก, พื้นดิน, พื้น

found the tourist unconscious on the ground
hotel staff found the tourist unconscious on the ground

local - in or related to the area that you live, or to the particular area that you are talking about ท้องถิ่น
local clinic

the tourist was taken to a local clinic and then a hospital on nearby Koh Samui

signs of life - things that other people can see that show that you are alive and not dead
showing signs of life

not showing signs of life
without showing any sign of life

resuscitate - revive and save someone, get them breathing again and save their life ช่วยให้ฟื้นคืนสติ, ช่วยให้รอดชีวิต
the tourist was resuscitated after two days without showing any sign of life

quarter - 25%
a quarter of his skull

remove - take out
doctors removed a quarter of his skull

space -  area with nothing in it, also called "room" ที่ว่าง, พื้นที่ว่าง
give his brain space - meaning: relieve the pressure (skull was pressing on brain, so remove skull to give brain space to expand into)

recover - to become healthy and fit again after an illness or injury การฟื้นไข้
recover from the fall.

Doctors removed a quarter of his skull to give his brain space to recover from the fall.

missing - something that you cannot see where it is; lost, disappeared ซึ่งหายไป, ซึ่งหาไม่พบ
the missing part of his skull in a box
Mr Charie flew home to Britain two weeks later with the missing part of his skull in a box.

accompanied - went somewhere together with ติดตาม, ร่วมทาง, เดินทางไปด้วย
He was accompanied by a Thai doctor who helped take care of him during the flight.

chunk - a large piece of something เนื้อหรือไม้ชิ้นหนาและสั้น
the missing chunk of his skull

gap - a space or opening in the middle of something or between things ช่องว่าง
cover the gap

plate - a flat metal object แผ่น์โลหะ, แม่พิมพ์โลหะ, แผ่นพิมพ์  รูปแบน
titanium plate

mould - something that has the shape of an object; pour metal into it to create the object แม่พิมพ์
a mould to design a titanium plate

Surgeons in Britain plan to use the missing chunk of his skull as a mould to design a titanium plate which will cover the gap in his head.

interview - to ask someone questions in a meeting for a newspaper article, television show, etc. The noun form is also interview สัมภาษณ์, การสัมภาษณ์

"I can't remember falling - I don't even know if I fell,” Mr Charie told the Telegraph in a video interview.

sink - fall, drop จม
dip - a moving inside การจุ่ม, การแช่

my head sinking into this dip
this dip which was where my skull was missing
my head sinking into this dip which was where my skull was missing

My dad came over to Thailand and after two days I remember my head sinking into this dip which was where my skull was missing and I could not believe it.
crush - breaking something into pieces ทำให้แตก, ขยี้, บด, เหยียบ
crushed - to be broken into pieces by something

It got me in tears thinking about what had happened. They had removed it weeks before. The skull was one of the first things to be taken out because it was all crushed up and just needed to be.

on holiday - taking a vacation, vacationing (relaxing and not working for a period of time) 
on holiday having a good time

I was on so many different drugs then I did not realise they had removed it. I was confused and thought I was just on holiday having a good time.

shock - ความสะดุ้งตกใจ
a big shock

realise - to know about ตระหนัก รู้
I only realised a few weeks later when I met my dad that I had this dip. It was a big shock

injection - when medicine is put into your blood with a needle through the skin
I have had about eight injections in each arm

can't stand it - cannot endure it, to difficult or painful and cannot continue

... to be honest - ... to tell you the truth 
I do not really want to think about it to be honest. Since I have been in hospital I have had about eight injections in each arm that I can remember and I can't stand it.

smash -  to break into pieces แตกเป็นชิ้นๆ, แตกเป็นเสี่ยงๆ
smashing his skull

smashing the side of his skull
fell from a  walkway smashing the side of his skull

slip - when your feet slide on something slippery like ice (and you lose your balance and fall over) ลื่นไถล, ไถล
push - move something away with your hands ดัน, ผลัก
pushed - when someone moves you away with their hands

It is unknown whether he slipped off the balcony or was pushed.

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