Sunset trip ends in tragedy
LAEM PROMTHEP: A man drowned and a young woman is still missing after a fishing boat sank 800 meters off Laem Phromthep around 7 pm yesterday. The body of the boat’s owner, Somsak Nakaew, 30, was discovered about 11 am today at Yanui beach. Narthanong Kaewkanha, 19, remains missing. She is believed to have drowned. Pol Lt Col Narong Nerdbuth, Inspector of Phuket Marine Police, told the Gazette that the Marine Police sent out a rescue vessel after being informed by Chalong Police Station that a boat had sunk and four people were in the water. Arriving at the scene, they found Nava Yaowarat, 42, a Karon Municipality civil servant, and Nithichai Parnduang, 34, in shallow water close to the rocks. They were brought ashore and taken to Wachira Phuket Hospital for treatment of cuts from underwater rocks. K. Nava and K. Nithichai told the Marine Police that the four had gone out in the seven-meter boat to watch the sun set. They had left from Laem Hin pier, close to Phuket Town, and had planned to go round to Karon. On the way, after stopping to fish for squid, they were passing Laem Phromthep when they were hit by big waves driven by a strong wind, which sank the boat. Lt Col Narong said, “We tried to find the missing pair but the rough conditions and the strong wind made it too difficult for us to continue searching in the dark. “One victim was found this morning. I don’t believe K. Narthanong is still alive, but we will continue to search for her body.”
