BREAKING NEWS: Phuket tourists, crew saved from sinking dive boat

PHUKET: A joint rescue effort by the Phuket Tourist Rescue Center and the Royal Thai Navy has safely recovered all 27 people aboard a sinking dive boat off Phuket tonight.

A distress call was received from the dive boat Laksanawadee at 6:15pm, an officer at the Tourist Rescue Center in Chalong told the Phuket Gazette.

The boat, a large, two-level cruiser with 16 tourists on board, was returning from a dive trip to Koh Dok Mai (“Flower Island”) when it capsized in heavy seas near Koh Mai Thon, about 16 kilometers west of Chalong Pier.

“The Third Naval Area Command responded immediately by sending a 50-meter warship. We sent our own rescue speedboat and the dive company sent one its speedboats to assist the rescue effort,” he said.

All tourists on board – 11 men, three women and two young girls – and the eight dive instructors and guides and three crewmen were recovered safely, he added.

“We took 10 people on board the Tourist Rescue Center boat, which will return to Chalong. We are not sure whether the Royal Thai Navy boat will return here [Chalong] or back to its base at Cape Panwa,” he added.

As the rescue team left the scene, the overturned dive boat was believed to be still sinking.

It is not clear if or when a salvage operation will be launched.

— Atchaa Khamlo