33 tourists safely rescued as catamaran sinks off Phuket coast
Thanks to help from local boats, fishing vessels and a luxury tour boat, all passengers, including tour guide and crew, were rescued in time
Thirty-three Chinese tourists were safely rescued after a catamaran called “AMERAY 888” began sinking off the coast of Phuket on Monday afternoon.
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said the boat began listing at about 12.30pm, some 1.6 nautical miles north of Koh Racha Yai to the south of Phuket.
The tourists were rescued thanks to help offered by local boatmen, fishing vessels and even a luxury tour boat.
The boat’s captain said the vessel was pulling out from the coast of Koh Chalong Yai when it began listing, and a window broke allowing water to pour in.
It took about 20 minutes for the catamaran to fully sink, giving the 33 Chinese tourists, a tour guide, an assistant and the captain, plenty of time to be rescued.
