Five
foreign tourists had to be dramatically rescued off the
Phuket coast after their dive boat sprang a leak and started taking on water mid-voyage.
A dive trip turned into a soggy nightmare on Wednesday afternoon when a tour boat carrying five foreign holidaymakers began leaking on the way back from the idyllic islands of southern Thailand.
The drama unfolded around 4.50pm as the Poseidon tour boat suffered a mechanical failure while travelling between Koh Yao and Koh Khieo. The boat’s exhaust pipe malfunctioned, causing water to pour in, according to Rewat Areerob, President of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PAO).
A quick-thinking dive tour operator radioed the Khaimuk (Pearl) Tourist Assistance Centre, prompting an emergency response from Patrol Boat 3, which sped to the scene and evacuated all five passengers without injury, reported Bangkok Post.
“Thankfully, everyone was brought back to Chalong Pier safe and sound,” Rewat confirmed.
Meanwhile, crew from the nearby Mermaid boat managed to patch the leak and stop the water ingress before the Poseidon was towed to safety by the Andaman Pearl 3 and Mermaid.
The scare is the latest in a string of recent maritime mishaps involving tourist vessels in Thailand’s holiday hotspots.
Just last week, a
Spanish family of four were rescued off Koh Samui after their long-tail boat capsized in rough seas. The family were left drifting helplessly in open water before being plucked to safety by local rescuers.
The incident occurred on July 1 at around 11.30am, as a long-tailed boat carrying a group of foreign tourists encountered rough seas.
And late last year,
143 tourists were stranded overnight on Racha Yai Island when a sudden storm whipped up 4-metre waves, forcing the
Royal Thai Navy’s Third Area Command to launch a full-scale rescue operation.
thethaiger.com
