Dive boat rescues stricken tourists

9 Jan 2012

The crew of an Andaman dive vessel have been praised for their timely rescue of tourists trapped on a sinking speedboat. A boat belonging to Prestige Divers was en route to Koh Phi Phi last Thursday morning when crew members spotted the stricken Manific close to Koh Yao Yai island, opposite Krabi.

The speedboat had run into trouble when one of its engines failed and then it started taking in water in seas that were fairly choppy. The foundering vessel had 25 tourists, including a number of youngsters as well as a guide and two crew members on board.

The Prestige Divers’ boat was heading across Phang Nga Bay when it came upon the Manific. The company’s boss, Micha Hildner, said his crew managed to get all of the people aboard his vessel from the rapidly sinking speedboat in about 10 minutes.

Mr Hildner added that his crew had put lines between the boats and pulled several people out of the water before the Manific sank stern first. The rescuers then transported the rescued passengers and crew, with no injuries reported, back to Phuket.

One of the passengers on the Manific, Australian national Philip Barnes, said that when the boat ran into trouble, there was a rush to get everyone into the lifejackets that nobody had been wearing until that point.

Marine Police officer Panya Chaichana said that while investigations into the incident were incomplete, initial enquiries seemed to indicate heavy waves had fractured the hull of the speedboat.

Tags: boat rescues tourists