Three crew from sunken barge safe
Three of the six missing crewmen from a barge that sank off Phuket on Tuesday have been found safe near Lanta Island in Krabi, after drifting at sea for two days, a senior navy officer said yesterday.
Two Myanmar crewmen were found floating in the sea off Koh Lanta near Hat Khlong beach around 5.30am. They were exhausted, dehydrated and hungry.
The head of village Group 2 in tambon Saladan sent them to Koh Lanta Hospital, a member of the sea rescue team said.
The two men, identified as Ngae and Lu-ae, said they were members of the sixman crew on a barge that sank in rough seas on Tuesday morning. The barge was swamped by waves about 4am while on its way from Phuket to Koh Racha Yai island.
On Wednesday night, a Thai crewman from the missing barge, identified as Nathee Klapjit, 21, was found on Khlong Nam Jued beach, on Koh Lanta. He was immediately sent to Koh Lanta Hospital.
In hospital, the three survivors said they and the three other crewmen were cast adrift when their barge sank. They clung to plastic fish bins to stay afloat. They drifted near Phi Phi Island but strong waves prevented them reaching it. Their group struggled toward Koh Lanta, while the others were heading to Koh Ma.
Units of the 3rd Naval Area were continuing the search for the other crewmen.