4 Chinese fishermen lost at sea rescued near Phuket

A Royal Thai Navy (RTN) Area 3 team rescued four Chinese fishermen lost at sea near Racha Noi Island in Phuket.

The owner of the fishing boat sought help from the RTN after the four Chinese fishermen, who rented his fishing boat named SAO, went to sea at 5am yesterday but didn’t come back.

The worried boat owner told the RTN that the fishermen are regulars and have rented his boat several times before, adding that they were normally back on shore by 9pm.

The coordinates revealed that the boat was about 32 kilometres from Racha Noi Island but the owner struggled to track it.

After being notified, the Vessel Traffic Control and Maritime Security Center contacted a ship named Adriatic Energy, which was located near the coordinates of the Chinese men’s boat.

The Adriatic Energy found the Chinese fishermen and reported back to the traffic control centre.

The Chinese group informed the official that the boat’s engine had stopped working and they couldn’t ask for help because there was no phone signal.

Naval Area 3 of the RTN sent officers to rescue the Chinese group at 1am today and they arrived safely at the Naval Area 3’s pier at 7am.

According to Bangkok Biz News the four fishermen are businessmen working in Thailand.

One of the rescued men, Jinyuan Lian, told the media that he and his friends checked the weather before the trip, adding that they always prepare well and were well equipped with safety equipment but they couldn’t legislate for a broken engine.

The Chinese man said he and his friends would like to thank all the officers that helped them.

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