A fishing vessel caught fire and sank off the coast of Surat Thani, resulting in the death of one crew member. Yesterday, June 23, at 3pm, Vice Admiral Nares Wongtrakun, director of the 2nd Naval Area Command, ordered Captain Natthaphon Sinphunphon, deputy director of the Surat Thani Maritime Enforcement Command Centre, to dispatch a high-speed rescue vessel, Sornchon 4003, to assist.
This action followed a report from the vessel owner that the fishing boat, Chotaphinan 15, suffered a fire while operating alongside Chotaphinan 56.
The incident occurred at coordinates 9°39.794’N and 99°26.073’E, approximately 13 nautical miles from Tha Chang pier in Tha Chana district, Surat Thani province. The vessel had three crew members on board, including 64 year old mechanic, Songwut, who fell unconscious. All crew members were rescued by Chotaphinan 56, the accompanying fishing boat.
The affected area experienced severe waves and strong winds at the time. Emergency services coordinated the transfer of the unconscious crew member to a nearby hospital, but he unfortunately passed away en route to Don Sak Hospital.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the fire originated in the engine room and rapidly spread beyond control, forcing the crew to abandon ship before it was completely engulfed and sank. The body of the deceased was recovered by the Sornchon 4003 vessel, and further arrangements are being made with relevant parties for the next steps, reported KhaoSod.
In similar news, a fire broke out on a boat carrying 28 tourists on a diving trip near Koh Tao, triggering an evacuation led by the Royal Thai Navy’s (RTN) Marine Department in Surat Thani province.
The incident happened at 9.25am on March 16, when RTN Captain Natthaphon Sinphunphon, deputy director of the department, was alerted by Koh Tao’s rescue center about a fire in the boat’s engine room.
The vessel involved, called Davy Jones’ Locker, is a passenger boat with a gross tonnage of 23.29, operated by Davy Jones Locker Co., Ltd.
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