PHUKET: Six men trapped on a barge in a savage storm off Phuket today were strapping together a makeshift raft knowing their vessel was likely to sink, Phuketwan has learned.
The captain telephoned his wife on Phuket to let her know that the second of the barge's engines had failed and that they were doing what they could to save their lives.
The barge's first engine failed about 4pm yesterday on a voyage to Racha island and the second engine ceased to function about 4am today.
Nothing has been heard from the six men - two Thais and four Burmese - since the last telephone call from the captain to his wife early today.
A Royal Thai Navy helicopter searched for the missing barge and signs of a raft at daybreak, again in late morning and a third time, about 4.30pm, the Commander of Royal Thai Navy 3, Vice Admiral Saiyan Prasongsomret, said today.
''We will search again at first light tomorrow,'' the vice admiral said.
''We have been told that the barge left Koh Sireh [east of Phuket City] with construction equipment for a resort on Racha island on July 2, despite bad weather warnings.
''The captain of the vessel sheltered from the storm in the lee of Koh Lon [off Chalong in southern Phuket] on July 3.
''The owner of the resort where the construction was to take place called the captain and told him that the material was urgently wanted and he had to continue the voyage.
''The captain was against making the trip in the stormy conditions but eventually gave in to the owner's request.''
The barge was imperfectly balanced and a backhoe was among the equipment on board, the commander said.
''We hope these men can be found safely and we will be doing our best to find them,'' he said.
The warship HTMS Chonburi is sailing south from the Navy's base in Phang Nga, north of Phuket, to join the search on Wednesday.
Phuket Marine Office 5 chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut previously banned boats of less than nine metres from putting to sea in the monsoon storms now battering the Andaman.
He ruled tonight that with the forecast worsening, from Wednesday no craft smaller than 24 metres will be able to leave shore.
The captain telephoned his wife on Phuket to let her know that the second of the barge's engines had failed and that they were doing what they could to save their lives.
The barge's first engine failed about 4pm yesterday on a voyage to Racha island and the second engine ceased to function about 4am today.
Nothing has been heard from the six men - two Thais and four Burmese - since the last telephone call from the captain to his wife early today.
A Royal Thai Navy helicopter searched for the missing barge and signs of a raft at daybreak, again in late morning and a third time, about 4.30pm, the Commander of Royal Thai Navy 3, Vice Admiral Saiyan Prasongsomret, said today.
''We will search again at first light tomorrow,'' the vice admiral said.
''We have been told that the barge left Koh Sireh [east of Phuket City] with construction equipment for a resort on Racha island on July 2, despite bad weather warnings.
''The captain of the vessel sheltered from the storm in the lee of Koh Lon [off Chalong in southern Phuket] on July 3.
''The owner of the resort where the construction was to take place called the captain and told him that the material was urgently wanted and he had to continue the voyage.
''The captain was against making the trip in the stormy conditions but eventually gave in to the owner's request.''
The barge was imperfectly balanced and a backhoe was among the equipment on board, the commander said.
''We hope these men can be found safely and we will be doing our best to find them,'' he said.
The warship HTMS Chonburi is sailing south from the Navy's base in Phang Nga, north of Phuket, to join the search on Wednesday.
Phuket Marine Office 5 chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut previously banned boats of less than nine metres from putting to sea in the monsoon storms now battering the Andaman.
He ruled tonight that with the forecast worsening, from Wednesday no craft smaller than 24 metres will be able to leave shore.
What are the chances that the owner of the resort will face charges?
Zip, nada, nowt, zero.
Posted by Smithy on July 7, 2015 21:19