UPDATING All Day, Every Day
PHUKET authorities who confirmed the report got it wrong. Three people had been rescued, with the tally rising to four on Friday when a yacht picked up a fourth man. Two others remain missing.
Earlier Report
PHUKET Marine Office 5 chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut confirmed tonight that six people missing from a sunken barge have been safely rescued off Koh Lanta - with one in Lanta Hospital and five in Krabi Hospital. In a remarkable day of rescues, 22 people were plucked safely from three sunken vessels by Royal Thai Navy and Marine Police across two provinces.
Original Report
PHUKET: The six crew missing from a construction barge have been found safe off Phuket, according to reports tonight that have yet to be confirmed.
The six were discovered off Koh Lanta in Krabi, unconfirmed reports say - quite a distance travelled in prevailing currents.
Phuketwan is checking on the reports.
When the captain of the barge was last in touch with his wife on Tuesday, he told her he and the crew were constructing a makeshift raft because the barge was sinking.
No sign of the barge has been seen despite an aerial search by helicopters and Navy and Marine Police vessels.
The barge was carrying construction material from Phuket to Racha island when distress calls were made in a severe storm on Tuesday.
If the reports are confirmed, the rescue of the barge six would cap a remarkable day.
The Royal Thai Navy and Marine Police rescued 10 crew from a container ship that was blown onto rocks at Hey island off Phuket .
The HTMS Chonburi picked up six survivors from a sunken trawler as they fought to stay afloat in mid-ocean.
Savage monsoon storms have engulfed the region around Phuket with authorities for the first time imposing rules to limit the size of boats that can put to sea, depending on the forecast.
On Tuesday the limit was on boats under nine metres and today the limit rose to confine boats less than 24 metres to shore.
Tomorrow the forecast has persuaded the committee that is assessing the dangers to rule that boats under 12 metres should not leave Phuket's shores.
Waves of 2-3 metres are forecast, with winds varying from 20-45 kph and the likelihood of rain over much of the region.
Boats of all sizes are permitted to voyage onto Phang Nga Bay, which is more sheltered, or to sail to Koh Lon, which is close to Phuket's west coast.
More storms are expected in coming days, with conditions expected to remain bad until next Tuesday, when finer weather is predicted.
Fantastic job done by the Royal Thai Navy and Marine Police during the last 48 hours.
THUMB UP for all Phuket rescue teams.
Posted by WhistleBlower on July 8, 2015 22:05
Editor Comment:
Remarkable day for rescuers.