Picture courtesy of Thai-MECC

 

Phuket authorities carried out a daring rescue operation to save a crew member of a Panama-flagged cargo ship who was reported to be fell critically ill at sea, amid rough weather conditions.

 

On 5 January, at 15:37 local time, the Third Regional Command of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (Thai-MECC) received an emergency alert from Bangkok Radio Centre. The distress call came from the M/V Bangkok, a Panama-flagged cargo vessel, requesting immediate medical evacuation for a 23-year-old Indonesian crew member, identified as Renhat, who was suffering from an irregular heartbeat. At the time, the ship was located approximately 48 nautical miles from Phuket’s Promthep Cape.

 

In response, Thai-MECC deployed a high-speed operations vessel, Sorn Chon 4005, to carry out the rescue. Despite treacherous conditions, the rescue team successfully evacuated the patient and brought him ashore at Phuket’s Deep Sea Port by 21:00, where he was handed over to medical personnel from Bangkok Hospital Phuket.

 

Preliminary reports revealed that the patient remained conscious and communicative but exhibited symptoms of seasickness during the transfer.

 

The rescue operation was conducted under extremely challenging conditions, with strong winds of 25–30 knots and waves exceeding 2 metres in height. The adverse weather significantly slowed the vessel’s speed to just 6 knots, requiring utmost caution to ensure the safety of both the patient and the crew. The turbulence even caused some rescuers to experience seasickness.

 

Despite these difficulties, the mission was successfully completed, demonstrating the dedication and resilience of the Thai-MECC officers.

 

-- 2025-01-06

 

 

Nice work... hope the guy recovers.

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

save a crew member of a Panama-flagged cargo ship

 

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

a 23-year-old Indonesian crew member,

 

To be honest, I do not see the relevance of "Panama-flagged" 

There must be many Panama-flagged ships around the World - flag of convenience.

 

Congratulations Phuket authorities for rescuing the Indonesian  crew member. 

No further comment from me.