“There weren’t enough life vests on board” – latest in the search for missing crew

[snoop1130]

PHOTO: Frigate HMS Sukhothai rescue - Thai Navy

 

An air and sea search for the 30 missing crew (some media report up to 33) of the HMS Sukhothai frigate continues. One crew member was found and rescued yesterday but fears remain for the welfare of the remainder of the missing crew. It was also revealed this morning by a spokesperson for the Navy that there were weren’t sufficient life vests available for all crew on the ill fated vessel.

 

There were 106 crew on board HMS Sukhothai before the incident on Sunday evening around 11.30pm. 75 of the crew were rescued on the first day after life rafts were deployed. A nearby oil tanker responded to the vessels’ SOS alerts.

 

The Royal Thai Navy’s Vice Admiral Pichai Lorchusakul announced this morning that a non-commissioned officer, Nathee Timdee, was rescued last night by HMS Kraburi.

 

“All the men had been trained in survival techniques at sea, including swimming from one island to another, and how to stay afloat with a life vest, adding that being a good swimmer is not necessarily the best way to survive, but using as little energy as possible while in the sea.”

 

He also confirmed at there were four generators in the Sukhotha.

 

“When one malfunctioned, there were three in reserve, but this time none of them functioned, because sea water leaked into the engine room.”

 

In contrast to earlier reports, he admitted that there were not enough life vests on board… “but the Styrofoam boxes containing the life vests could be used as floatation devices”.

 

Source: https://phuket-go.com/phuket-news/national-news/there-werent-enough-life-vests-on-board-latest-in-the-search-for-missing-crew/

 

-- © Copyright Phuket GO 2022-12-20

 

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[Big Bert]

So the question is why? Not enough life vest is disgraceful.

[ozz1]

I don't think they have lifejackets on a submarine this is going to be great and why wouldn't they have enough lifejackets on a navy ship this is stupid 

[Crossy]

For flip's sake guys, it's a ruddy warship!! Things get a bit "bumpy" you button up tight!

 

But not having enough life preservers / rafts ...

 

What The Heck!

[MRToMRT]

14 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

“All the men had been trained in survival techniques at sea, including swimming from one island to another, and how to stay afloat with a life vest, adding that being a good swimmer is not necessarily the best way to survive, but using as little energy as possible while in the sea.”

What a piillock.

[ezzra]

That's has to be the saddest joke i have heard in long, long time, not enough life jackets on boards, sailors who can't swim and same sailors who laughs and joke and take pictures while their ship is taking water and being bettered by extremely rough seas, someone in the Thai navy dropped the ball big time in preparing boats and sailors on active duties and the trusts mothers put in their hands sending their sons to serve in such deplorable conditions...

[carlyai]

If true, it's disgusting. 

If true, they must have never had a real emergancy drill, not just recently, but never. ????

[kidneyw]

I don't fancy their chances in the water with recent temperatures even with a life jacket.

I hope I am wrong but.................

[Will B Good]

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

there were not enough life vests on board… “but the Styrofoam boxes containing the life vests could be used as floatation devices”.

..........there were not enough life vests on board… “but the Styrofoam boxes containing the life vests could be used as floatation devices”

 

.....that is a gem of a statement......so how many of these styrofoam boxes were there???????? enough for one each???

[4MyEgo]

It just goes to show you how much they value their defenders of their country.

 

What an absolute disgrace, but nothing surprises me here in the land of smiles.

[nauseus]

1 hour ago, ozz1 said:

I don't think they have lifejackets on a submarine this is going to be great and why wouldn't they have enough lifejackets on a navy ship this is stupid 

Navies use specially adapted PFDs (personal flotation devices) for submarine crews.

 

No excuse for insufficient lifejackets or other buoyancy devices. 

[swerve]

“but the Styrofoam boxes containing the life vests could be used as floatation devices”.

 

Is this optimism or CYA?

[wangotango]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

That's has to be the saddest joke i have heard in long, long time, not enough life jackets on boards, sailors who can't swim and same sailors who laughs and joke and take pictures while their ship is taking water and being bettered by extremely rough seas, someone in the Thai navy dropped the ball big time in preparing boats and sailors on active duties and the trusts mothers put in their hands sending their sons to serve in such deplorable conditions...

Nothing new, STUPID , Hope they are Ok but it don,t look good.

[billd766]

2 hours ago, Big Bert said:

So the question is why? Not enough life vest is disgraceful.

It depends on how many life vests there were. If there enough for the normal crew, that would be fine.

 

In hindsight, extra life vests should have been provided for the extra people. That they may not have been is an error of somebody's judgement.

 

OTOH it has been decades since the last time an RTN ship was sunk.

 

The Titanic should serve as an example. There were not enough lifeboats provided as she was said to be "unsinkable". That was changed very quickly afterwards.

Edited December 20, 2022 by billd766

[proton]

Thought this sort of sandal was sorted out after the Titanic!

[nauseus]

6 minutes ago, swerve said:

“but the Styrofoam boxes containing the life vests could be used as floatation devices”.

 

Is this optimism or CYA?

Could be both. But if boxes made only of Styrofoam were used to store the life vests, then that could be why there may not have been enough of them when needed. 

[anchadian]

4 Thai navy sailors died, 77 rescued and 24 still missing after a navy corvette capsized in stormy weather on Sunday night. Large search operation underway in the Gulf of Thailand. Navy says corvette did not launch life rafts and that there were insufficient life jackets on board

 

 

Navy has corrected its figures - 5 dead, only 1 rescued today, 76 rescued in total, 24 missing. A lot for the navy investigation to answer - how could a naval combat vessel be sunk by a freak wave? Did something else go wrong? Why go into a storm with insufficient life vests?

 

https://twitter.com/pakhead/status/1605158146040745984

 

 

[herfiehandbag]

52 minutes ago, billd766 said:

It depends on how many life vests there were. If there enough for the normal crew, that would be fine.

 

In hindsight, extra life vests should have been provided for the extra people. That they may not have been is an error of somebody's judgement.

 

OTOH it has been decades since the last time an RTN ship was sunk.

 

The Titanic should serve as an example. There were not enough lifeboats provided as she was said to be "unsinkable". That was changed very quickly afterwards.

Extra crew? I was wandering about that, 106 is a lot of matelots to cram onto a 260 foot corvette!

[carlyai]

Wifey said they were part-time navy..

mayby like CMF. Hope the life jackets some may have were not the capox type.

I remember when that drilling ship in the Gulf was lost in the typhoon, that some did escape but evidently those capox made life jackets fill with water after a certain time and you sink.

I don't know.

 

[MartinL]

The Royal Thai Navy’s Vice Admiral Pichai Lorchusaku (said) that there were not enough life vests on board… “but the Styrofoam boxes containing the life vests could be used as floatation devices”.

 

Cupid Stunt and doubly so for being an Admiral. Perhaps he'll never have to go to sea in one of his safety gear deficient ships. I wonder how many more of the Royal Thai Navy's ships fit into that category.

 

A properly designed and fitted life jacket will provide floatation for its wearer whether they're conscious or not. A Styrofoam box is only any good while its user has the strength to hang onto it.

 

 

[HuskerDo2]

If they are so poorly equipped with life jackets just imagine all the other chaos if they expected the ship to confront an aggressive naval ship from China or another country. It amazes me how many militaries are so poorly trained and equipped. Take the Russian Army for instance. Getting their butts kicked by fierce Ukraine fighters who are far less equipped. Russia by all accounts had one of the best militaries in the world. Apparently not so.  

[rbkk]

Why is the captain not under arrest? When there was a fire in a disco and the fire exits were locked the owner was locked up. Not having enough life jackets for the souls on board is captaincy 101; failed. 

[mikebike]

1 hour ago, rbkk said:

Why is the captain not under arrest? When there was a fire in a disco and the fire exits were locked the owner was locked up. Not having enough life jackets for the souls on board is captaincy 101; failed.  

I dont think you understand the difference between civilian and military law. 

[garroman]

7 hours ago, kidneyw said:

I don't fancy their chances in the water with recent temperatures even with a life jacket.

I hope I am wrong but.................

Unfortunately this is true. Without at least a wet suit hypothermia sets in. Even in relatively warm water within hours. This is from my NAUI dive training.

[webfact]

Six crew from sunken Thai Navy vessel found dead, one rescued safely

 

 

Seven crew members of the ill-fated HTMS Sukhothai were found drifting in the Gulf of Thailand today, but only one of them had survived, according to the Chief-of-Staff of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) Admiral Cholathit Navanukroh.

 

He said that autopsies will be conducted.

 

Meanwhile, Commander-in-Chief of the RTN, Admiral Choengchai Chomchoenpaet said that the Navy will conduct an investigation to determine the exact cause of the sinking of the vessel and into a report that there were insufficient life vests on board for all 106 crew members.

 

He insisted that the investigation will be straightforward and transparent.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/six-crew-from-sunken-thai-navy-vessel-found-dead-one-rescued-safely/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-12-21

 

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[still kicking]

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

Six crew from sunken Thai Navy vessel found dead, one rescued safely

 

 

Seven crew members of the ill-fated HTMS Sukhothai were found drifting in the Gulf of Thailand today, but only one of them had survived, according to the Chief-of-Staff of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) Admiral Cholathit Navanukroh.

 

He said that autopsies will be conducted.

 

Meanwhile, Commander-in-Chief of the RTN, Admiral Choengchai Chomchoenpaet said that the Navy will conduct an investigation to determine the exact cause of the sinking of the vessel and into a report that there were insufficient life vests on board for all 106 crew members.

 

He insisted that the investigation will be straightforward and transparent.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/six-crew-from-sunken-thai-navy-vessel-found-dead-one-rescued-safely/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-12-21

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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sad

[Harsh Jones]

8 hours ago, proton said:

Thought this sort of sandal was sorted out after the Titanic!

It never seems to end. Sometimes there's just not enough jackets accessible to those who need it. 

 

Ppl get so used to the day to day life on a ship over years, that it never crosses their mind that the ship could sink. And even during incidents, they don't believe the ship is really at risk. They teach you that the ship is your safest bet. Stay with the ship. On the surface it sounds really stupid when these things happen but its a little more complicated than that. 

[Megasin1]

In a way, it appears that the 75 that were rescued were extremely lucky that the oil tanker responded to their SOS quicker than the Thai navy. I think had the Thai Navy arrived first the casualty count would be much higher.....

[Aussieroaming]

RIP to the dead.

[Elkski]

I would expect the operator of a tourist boat found to not have enough knife vests to serve time.  And the payout for the families who lost loved ones should start at 20 m baht