Dave Sammann, known on the North Shore as “Taxi Dave” when he owned and operated North Shore Limo and North Shore Cab, was found dead in his pickup truck near a beach house he was building for his family on
Dave Sammann, known on the North Shore as “Taxi Dave” when he owned and operated North Shore Limo and North Shore Cab, was found dead in his pickup truck near a beach house he was building for his family on Phuket Island, Thailand, friends said.
Sammann, who sold his company to members of the Carswell family, moved to the Phuket area a few years ago, and was in the process of building his family home on a beach in Khao Lak, according to information obtained from Thailand by Donna Apisa, president and principal broker of Oceanfront Realty International, Inc.
Apisa’s husband, Ben Winningham, who leases two pieces of property in Patong Beach, on Phuket, but was on the U.S. Mainland visiting relatives at the holidays when Sunday’s tsunami hit, and learned that both of his leased parcels survived the tsunami that has killed tens of thousands of people in several Southeast Asian nations (please see related stories on page A4).
Those parcels, though, are currently without water, electricity or sewer service, Apisa said. When Apisa last visited Thailand, Winningham and Sammann were living near each other, she said.
According to information received from a friend of Sammann’s in Thailand, Sammann would go each morning to the construction site around 8 a.m., and on the morning the first wave hit he was working at the site with another man.
The other person starting running, and called for Sammann, but he said the first wave was not that bad. Sammann then attempted to drive his truck from the property, but the second wave hit, leaving Sammann and his truck at the mercy of the devastating, powerful wave. At that point, nothing could be done, witnesses said.
According to various reports, Sammann was found dead at the wheel of his truck, which was buried under debris, on Monday (Tuesday in Thailand).
“Dave was one of the persons I knew in Thailand that loved life to its fullest and the many things Thailand had to offer,” said a friend in Thailand known only as John. “Dave was a world-class surfer, and had surfed the waves all over Southeast Asia. Dave was in his early 50s,” according to John.
He leaves behind his wife Aoy, and one daughter, May, in addition to his stepmother and father, and at least one brother.
“I know I will miss him and our fun times together, and hearing his voice on the phone, saying, ‘Hey, what’s up Johnny, how are you and Jeanne?'” John said.
“He would always know when we were returning to Thailand, and he was always one of the first to call,” John said.
His friends, including Jeff Powers, owner of C J’s Steak & Seafood at Princeville Shopping Center, and Mark Sausen, assistant manager and waiter, are angry over the loss of their friend.
“He was a pretty close friend,” said Sausen, who knew Sammann all 20 years he was on Kaua‘i, surfed with him frequently, and made and sold him several surfboards through his company, Papa Sau Surfboards.
“He’s still in our hearts,” said Sausen, who was looking forward to his next trip to Thailand to see Sammann. He also came into the restaurant frequently before moving to Thailand around three years ago, Sausen said.
“We were really mad when he moved,” he said. Powers used to live next door to Sammann in Princeville.
“Everybody’s kind of in a state a shock. Hopefully he’s in a better place,” Sausen said.
“He was a very nice guy by all accounts,” said Calvin Schaeffer, current owner of North Shore Cab.
Paul C. Curtis, associate editor, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@pulitzer.net.
