Sea search continues for missing tourists

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Sea search continues for missing tourists

Published: 10/03/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

PHUKET : Rescue workers led by the navy are still searching for six foreign tourists and a Thai who have been missing since their boat sank in a fierce storm off Phuket on Sunday. The missing passengers included one Japanese, two Australians and a German, officials said.

They were among 30 passengers and crew aboard the Choksomboon 19, which capsized 30 kilometres off the resort island around 11pm as it headed back from a diving trip to the Similan islands, provincial deputy governor Samith Palawatwichai and Third Navy commander Narong Theswisal said.

The Third Navy was alerted after the boat did not return to Phuket as scheduled. The passengers were customers of Asia Diving Co.

A long-tailed boat rescued 23 passengers from the sea and the navy sent a patrol boat and helicopter to look for the others

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NBT TV Phuket

Discussion 1 : 10/03/2009 at 10:24 AM1
VDO: search for 7 missing continues in the sea off Promthep, Phuket, after a diving boat sank; interviews with survivor & Director, Dive Asia

http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/previewnews2.php?news_id=1004
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAYPJNZxphE

The search for 7 missing continues in the sea off Promthep, Phuket, after a diving boat sank on Sunday night.
A Dive Asia boat, Choke Somboon 19 or MV Dive Asia 1, carrying foreign scuba divers from a live-aboard trip to the Similans, sunk on its return to Phuket province on Sunday night at about 10.50pm, but the owners did not know until early Monday morning, when it did not return to Chalong Pier as expected. It apparently hit a sudden unexpected storm, and 23 people, 14 foreigners and 9 Thais, managed to get off the boat before it suddenly sunk apparently about 12 nautical miles off Promthep area. 7 people went missing at that time, including 6 foreigners (3 Austrians, 1 Japanese, 2 Swiss) and 1 Thai crew member. The survivors spent many hours in 2 life-rafts or the sea, before being spotted by fishermen, who then informed the Royal Thai Marine Police, who in turn collected them and brought them back to the Deep Sea Port at Ao Makham at about 4pm. The Phuket authority promptly set up a centre to handle the emergency at the port with assistance provided to survivors and families along with the dive company. The survivors’ names, accounts, and photos were taken. According to officials, the air search was suspended last night due to darkness and rain while boat radio networks were used last night among boat owners, but resumed this morning with the boat reportedly found near Cape Promthep. Despite being busy with assisting people yesterday, a Director from DiveAsia told us about the incident and the boat but first Michael Sampson, from Melbourne, Australia, exclusively told us more about what happened: (voice) ................

After that our reporter talked to Benno Brandon, PADI Course Director, of Dive Asia Company, the owner of the sunken boat. He explained their account of the tragic incident: (voice) …….

For more information & help call DiveAsia on 076 330598 and 076 284177. We hope the missing can still be found somehow, but pass our sincere wishes their family and friends.

Andaman News NBT TV (VHF dial) + Radio Thailand FM90.5 at 8.30am & perhaps repeats on Phuket Cable TV channel 1 at 7pm & 1am, broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces & maybe Mazz Radio FM108 at 7pm in Phuket, Tuesday 10th March 2009 & http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/
& www.YouTube.com/AndamanNews
Send comments to AndamanNews@yahoo.com

Sea search continues for missing tourists