PHUKET: Four people - three men and a woman - were safely rescued after their boat capsized about seven nautical miles from the island while on a fishing excursion on Tuesday, marine police said.
Following the accident, a marine police rapid deployment unit set off on a rubber boat on a rescue mission, said Pol Lt Col Jeerayut Niyomdet, a Phuket marine police duty officer.
The police boat, accompanied by fishermen on two fishing boats, arrived at the spot where the boat capsized at 12.20pm and found the four people drifting in the sea. They were rescued safely and brought to the island at Nai Yang beach in tambon Sakhu, Thalang district, at 1pm.
All were declared safe and did not require hospitalisation.
The four were Chitsanu Rakrangsimansuk, 25, the boat operator, and three passengers -- Vacharapong Sommut, 28, from Muang district of Kanchanaburi, along with Treesak Sermthip, 25 and Supakorn Iamjit, 25, both from Phuket.
The four said they set off on a 7-foot aluminium boat from a fishing boat landing on Nai Yang beach. About seven nautical miles from the shore, the boat was hit by a strong wave and capsized. All four aboard, wearing life jackets with mobile phones in sealed plastic bags, were thrown off the boat into the water. They were able to use the phones to call for help.
After less than an hour in the sea, the marine police arrived for the rescue.