Six passengers and the skipper of a speed boat have been rescued as they were floating in the sea, about four kilometres from the shore of Laem Ngob district of the eastern province of Trat, after their boat sank.
The sunken vessel’s skipper said that he was heading back to the mainland with his six passengers after disembarking another group of passengers on Koh Chang.
He also said that the sea at the time was rough and the front side of his boat cracked under the force of the waves, allowing water to enter the hull until the vessel sank, leaving all 7 people floating on the surface.
A rescue boat arrived about two hours later and took all of them to the pier on the mainland.
All the passengers appeared exhausted, especially an 80-year-old woman who was rushed to hospital for treatment.
A Marine Department official in Trat province subsequently warned all skippers to check their vessels properly for seaworthiness and to make sure there are sufficient enough life jackets on board.
