Wave of relief: RTN rides to the rescue, ferrying stranded passengers to safety near Koh Chang

The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) successfully rescued a ferry and its 30 passengers after it became stranded for over six hours near Koh Chang, an island situated in the eastern province of Trat.

According to ThaiRath, the boat in question belongs to the Trat Ferry company. The incident occurred during the company’s first trip of the day, at 7.15am yesterday, July 17. The ferry with 26 passengers, four staff members, and 17 vehicles departed from the pier in the Laem Ngob district of Trat to Koh Chang.

Not long after leaving, the ferry experienced a sudden engine failure. Upon investigation, the staff discovered that a discarded fishnet had become entangled in the vessel’s propeller. The ferry was pushed into the middle of the sea due to the wind, leaving most of the passengers frightened.

The ferry company attempted to steer passengers to the coastline by contacting a nearby fishing boat to help pull the ferry ashore. Unfortunately, the strong wind and waves posed difficulties. So, the company reached out to the RTN for their expert help.

The RTN sent a ship to transfer the passengers back to the pier in the Laem Ngob district. No passengers were injured during the incident, and only a few cases of seasickness were reported.

The RTN revealed to Matichon that all passengers were safe and most of them agreed to travel back to the coast with the RTN. One passenger expressed concerns regarding his belongings and vehicle and opted to remain on the ferry until its safe return.

Another passenger Montakarn Chobkon revealed in the interview with Matichon that she worked on the Koh Chang and travelled on the ferry with her niece on that day. The ferry left the pier at 7am, and the incident occurred one hour later.

Montakarn stated that the ferry staff members attempt to solve the issue but the strong waves and wind were their obstacles. Two boats were sent from the RTN and took them one hour to get back to the pier in the Laem Ngob district.