PHANG-NGA: Tsunami-warning buoy 23461, which stopped transmitting data on July 31, has been recovered by a navy vessel, having drifted away from its original station about 340 kilometres northwest of Phuket in the Andaman Sea, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) reported.
The search and recovery was organised by the DDPM, the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre and the 3rd Naval Area.
It was located by the offshore patrol vessel HTMS Prachuap Khiri Khan, which departed from Phang-nga navy base on Sunday at 8.30am to track down the buoy by following its GPS signal.
At 2.20pm, the buoy was found about 30km northwest of the Koh Surin islands, off Phang-nga, and taken on board.
HTMS Prachuap Khiri Khan was due to return to Phang-nga navy base on Monday morning. The buoy would then be taken to the local disaster prevention and mitigation office for examination to find out why it stopped transmitting data, why it drifted off station and for any needed repairs.