Three people were rescued after their yacht capsized off this southern coastal province on Sunday morning, according to a Thailand Marine Enforcement Command Centre (Thai-MECC) Region 3 press release.
At about 5.20am, the Thai-MECC received a telephone call from one of those aboard, saying the yacht had capsized in the stormy sea between Koh Ha and Koh Lanta islands, about 10 nautical miles southwest of the Mu Koh Lanta National Park.
They asked to be rescued, saying the yacht had sunk and they were on a dinghy boat drifting in the sea. The call then faded out, probably because of a low battery.
The Thai-MECC immediately contacted coastal units under its command, instructing them to contact fishing boats in the vicinity to look for the dinghy with three people on board.
At the same time, the 3rd Naval Area operation centre prepared to launch a helicopter to join the search as patrol boats could not be dispatched from Koh Lanta island and the Mu Koh Lanta National Park due to the strong storm.
At about 9.35am, the Thai-MECC was informed that the three people had been safely rescued by a fishing boat named P. Pichai Phuket.
