Two fishermen missing, feared drowned

CHALONG: Two crewmen are missing, feared drowned, after their fishing boat sank off Racha Noi, a small island south of Phuket. Six other men from the “Por Paweena 9” were rescued by another fishing vessel. Survivors told of the boat being smashed by rough monsoon seas in darkness about 3 am last Friday (August 2). It sank soon afterwards. Lt Col Pratuang Silamontri, inspector of Phuket Marine Police, told the Gazette, “The crew of the ‘Sor. Suwath 14’ said that they found the rescued men floating with their heads just above water.” The ‘Sor Sawath 14’ hauled the six aboard and took them back to Ranong. Marine Police divers went down to the wreck, about two miles east of Racha Noi, to search for bodies, but found nothing. On Tuesday, Krabi Marine Police received a report from a fisherman of a body floating near Koh Kai, in Phang Nga Bay, but a search by police again failed to find anything. “I don’t believe the two crewmen are still alive,” Col Pratuang added. Safia Khunsan, 37, from Ranong, told Chalong police that her brother, Moosa Khunsan, 35 was one of the missing men.