Asia-Pacific

Thailand races to find missing marines from sunken warship

Thai navy searches for 24 sailors still not found after the vessel sank amid strong waves and high winds on Sunday

The HTMS Sukhothai corvette warship lists off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan province. Photograph: Royal Thai Navy/AP

Tue Dec 20 2022 - 10:11

Thailand’s military mobilised helicopters, warships and unmanned drones off its central coast on Tuesday as rescue teams raced against time to find survivors after a corvette sank at the weekend in choppy waters. Dozens of marines, some without life vests, were forced to abandon the HTMS Sukhothai late on Sunday, after it was knocked over by four-metre (13ft) waves and strong winds

The Royal Thai Navy said on Tuesday that that at least five sailors have been confirmed dead.

There were 105 sailors on board the HTMS Sukhothai, a corvette which went down 37 km (20 nautical miles) offshore the province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, according to a navy tweet and government statement. Seventy five people were rescued on Monday, according to the navy.

Navy Commander Admiral Choengchai Chomchoengpaet told a press briefing Tuesday that two more people were found alive, while four bodies had been recovered. The navy said 24 people were still missing in a tweet at 6:38 p.m. local time.

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The vessel suffered an engine malfunction as it took on water and went down about 20 nautical miles off Prachuap Khiri Khan province.

Most of those were rescued before the boat sank but dozens had to abandon ship in rafts and life jackets.

Vice Admiral Pichai Lorchusakul, the regional navy commander, said finding the men on Tuesday would be critical given their time exposed to the elements.

“Life jacket, lifebuoy and their floating technique allows us 48 hours to save their lives,” he said late on Monday. “We will try to do as much as we can to save them.”

Helicopters, two unmanned surveillance aircraft, four warships and a C130 transport plane were deployed to find the missing marines, as weather conditions improved.

Lt Col Pichitchai Tuannadee, captain of the sunken ship, said he was in the sea for two hours before he scrambled on to a raft and was found by search teams on Monday.

"To see something as small as a life ring or a person's head above the surface of the water, it's very hard to see with the big waves," he said, adding the missing sailors were likely to be fatigued by now from having to tread water and make sure those without vests stayed afloat.

One of the marines was found late on Monday clinging to a buoy.

"He was floating in the water for 10 hours. He was still conscious, so we could take him out of the water safely," said Captain Kraipich Korawee-Paparwit, commander of the HTMS Kraburi, one of search vessels.

Relatives of the missing gathered at rescue centres awaiting news of loved ones.

Malinee Pudphong, aunt of a missing marine Saharat Esa said she spoke to her nephew by phone before the boat went down and was shocked to hear he did not get a life jacket.

"We have no hope as they are floating in the sea with just a life ring and with this kind of wind, you think they will withstand that?" she said.

“It’s a body of a 21-year-old, he’s not strong enough.”— Reuters

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