Superyacht crew member killed in anchoring accident

PHUKET: A crew member on the superyacht Ocean Victory was fatally injured yesterday in a freak accident as the ship was anchoring off Koh Tachai in the Similan Islands archipelago.

The Bulgarian national was reportedly caught up in a chain mechanism while the 140-meter superyacht was weighing anchor at about 2pm.

The 33-year-old man sustained massive injuries to both his legs, causing severe blood loss.

“He was rushed to Thaplamu Pier in Phang Nga on a small craft dispatched from the superyacht and then transported overland by ambulance to Bangkok Phuket Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival,” said Royal Thai Navy Chief Petty Officer Watcharin Promruang of the Third Naval Area Command.

Measuring 459.32 feet in length, the Ocean Victory, currently sailing under the flag of Cayman Islands, is one of the 10 largest superyachts in the world. The vessel was launched in 2014 and is owned by Russian steel magnate and politician Viktor Rashnikov.

The Phuket Gazette is withholding the name of the deceased until it has been confirmed that the victim’s relatives have been informed of the incident.

— Winai Sarot