A catamaran carrying more than 30 tourists sank in 20 minutes off the coast of Phuket, Thailand, as rescue vessels rushed to their aid with an investigation under way
38 rescued from sea as catamaran sinks during tourist trip
Dozens of tourists were thrown into the sea when a catamaran off the coast of Thailand suddenly sank.
The Ameray 888 started to take in water through a detached starboard window shortly after setting off in the south of Phuket, Thailand. It took only 20 minutes to sink when seawater quickly filled the vessel, around 1.6 nautical miles from shore.
The Ameray 888, registered in October 2014, was carrying 33 Chinese tourists, one tour guide, one intern and three crew members when it went down. The vessel was heading for the island of Koh Hey and the 44.39-gross-ton vessel sent a distress call shortly after departure.
Nachapong Pranit, director of the Phuket Regional Harbour Office, said: “The mandatory life jacket policy proved crucial. All passengers were wearing life jackets when the emergency occurred, allowing them to stay safely afloat until rescue arrived.”
The catamaran, valued at around £376,890 (THB 16 million), departed from Ko Racha Yai Island. Several nearby boats, including the Maliwan fishing vessel and the Rhapsody tour boat, rushed to the scene.
Several tourists suffered minor injuries and were taken to Chalong Pier where a response team was waiting with translators. The Chinese consulate was also informed about the incident and an investigation is under way into what caused the sudden sinking.
Earlier this year, a yacht carrying tourists crashed into rocks and sank during a chaotic New Year’s Day boat trip. Passengers scrambled free after the Amore Mio smashed into a large rock wall along the coast near La Quebrada, Acapulco in Mexico .
The crash sent the luxury boat swaying from side to side before it toppled into the rock surface again. Terrifying footage taken by a witness on the shore shows the tourists scream and jump off the sinking ship in a wave of panic.
In the video, divers rush into the water to help the passengers as the yacht bobs helplessly up and down in the water. It is believed strong currents pulled the boat towards the rocks as it tried to ferry passengers on a luxury yacht excursion on New Year’s Day. Despite the fierce impact, it is thought no one suffered serious physical injuries.
In December, a £10million superyacht smashed into a cruise ship off the Bahamas. Footage taken by passengers showed the Aurora yacht veering diagonally towards the massive Allure of the Seas cruise ship while it was docked in Nassau Harbour.