Captain recounts ‘letting’ speedboat sink offshore Trat
Chalong Thongkleub, captain of the Ao Payom speedboat that capsized offshore Trat on Tuesday evening, recalled the ordeal on Wednesday, saying that strong wind and waves and heavy rains had forced him to anchor.
He said he let the boat sink after urging everyone onboard to don life jackets and to hang on to buoys and ropes until help came.
Following the accident, which occurred at 6.55pm three kilometres from the shore of tambon Ao Yai of Trat’s Muang district, six crewmembers and 20 tourists were rescued by a passing fishing boat. By 9.30pm, marine police and the Navy had transported the tourists from Koh Poo in tambon Nongkhason.
