Woman tourist, 68, dies as boat overturns after touring Trang Sea
A 68-year-old woman lost her life when a long-tail boat carrying tourists overturned near a canal close to the Pak Meng Bridge in Trang province on Saturday.
The boat was returning from a tour in the Trang Sea, intending to dock at a pier that was approximately 2 kilometres away.
The boat carried 11 Thai tourists — 7 adults and 4 children. In addition, there was a boatman and a guide, making a total of 13 people.
The tourists, who were wearing life jackets, were found floating in the sea after the boat capsized. A speedboat, which witnessed the incident, provided immediate assistance.
The accident caused the death of the woman from Songkhla province while five other tourists sustained injuries.
The helmsman said he was returning to the dock when the mooring ropes used to control the boat’s stern broke, as a result the tourists fell to the same side, leading to the boat overturning.
The helmsman told officials that the tourists were all wearing life jackets, but they might have accidentally ingested water while waiting for assistance, causing injuries. He said the death of the elderly woman might have been caused either by her physical condition or shock from the incident.
Sikao Hospital provided initial medical assistance to the deceased before transferring her to Trang's provincial hospital. The condition of the other victims had stabilised, but they still require further observation and treatment at Sikao Hospital.
