Thai Marine Police Rescue Tourists

[webfact]

Marine police rescue tourists

By The Nation

Boat battles waves to save six students and nine-year-old from Klaeb Island; Navy plucks 103 to safety in Phang Nga

A marinepolice boat yesterday braved threemetrehigh waves for more than five hours to rescue six university students and a nineyearold girl from Klaeb Island off Chum Phon.

The stranded tourists were clearly shaken up after their ordeal. Their trip began on March 21. However, due to rough weather conditions, they were unable to return to the mainland on March 25 as planned. Even as their food supply was running thin, all they could do was call out for help and wait.

"We contacted all relevant agencies in a bid to rescue them," Chumphon Governor Pinij Jarernpanich said yesterday.

Marine Police Station 1 (Chumphon) inspector Pol LtColonel Worawit Boonprakong dispatched a boat for the rescue operation. Another inspector, Pol LtColonel Boonlert Srinuan, accompanied by eight other policemen, led the operations.

Klaeb Island is about six kilometres from Chumphon's Sawi district.

More than 100 people, particular?ly relatives of the stranded tourists, waited anxiously for the boat's return.

The youngest tourist was Arisara Jittrong, 9. She is a cousin of a university student stranded on the Klaeb Island.

Her mother Kannapat said, "I am so happy that they've returned to the mainland safely. I will never let my daughter go out to the sea again."

In Phang Nga, the Royal Thai Navy also sent two royal boats to bring 103 stranded tourists from Similan and Surin islands.

All the tourists looked relieved when they stepped into the royal boats. They reached the mainland Phang Ngai last night.

In the wake of strong wind and high waves, tour boats have refused to set sail. These tourists, therefore, had to wait for help from the Royal Thai Navy.

Ferry services between the main?land Surat Thani and Pha Ngan Island as well as Samui Island have been sus?pended too.

A few hundreds of tourists were stranded on Pha Ngan Island as of press time. Most were foreigners.

"We have warned the tourists to not splash into the sea now," Panu Woramit said yesterday in his capacity as the head of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Surat Thani branch.

It is estimated that there were between 600 and 700 tourists strand?ed on Samui Island as Bangkok Airways also cancelled most of its flights to and from the island since Monday.

Flooding in Samui town was quite serious. Most roads were inundated. Due to high floodwater levels, some areas were without electricity.

-- The Nation 2011-03-30

[webfact]

The most dangerous boat trip in my life'

By Watcharachai Klaipong

Somroutai Sapsomboon

The Nation photographer Watcharachai Klaipong recounts an operation by the Marine Police to rescue six students and a girl stranded on an island off Chumphon province after a rainstorm, as retold by Somroutai Sapsomboon.

I learned from my supervisor on Monday evening that I had to join a Marine Police team on a boat to rescue six students stranded on Klaep island off Sawi district in Chumphon province. As his subordinate, I had to follow his order - and I intended to do the job [taking photographs] to the best of my ability.

My boss said the Marine Police boat would leave Chumphon at 4am. Fearing I might miss it, I woke up very early and arrived at the local Marine Police station at 3.30am. The station was very quiet and I found nobody in the building. So I decided to walk to the station's pier and found the boat there.

After introducing myself to a man on board and telling him why I was joining the rescue trip, I climbed aboard. I discovered later that the man was the boat's skipper.

It was not until 7.30am that the boat left the pier. I was told that sailing in the dark is dangerous as you can't see the waves.

The waves were very smooth at the beginning of the journey - on the calm side of the shore. However, when the boat reached the open sea, the waves were so high I asked a police officer seated close to me: "Can I go back?"

It was really scary - much scarier than what I expected. In fact, it was the most dangerous boat trip in my life.

The officer responded in a calm voice, "You can't. We will not go back until we can rescue the students. They have run out of food and we have to help them urgently."

The farther the boat was from the shore, the more afraid I became. Although my instinct told me to believe in the skipper's experience and the boat's steel hull, my heart pounded every time a strong wave hit our vessel.

Finally, after the longest two and a half hours in my life, the boat arrived at Koh Klaeb. I saw the stranded youngsters waving after they spotted us. However, because of many rocks near the shore, the boat could not get closer than 100 metres from the shore.

After a few minutes' discussion, three of the eight police officers were sent swimming to the shore to bring the youngsters back. Life jackets were given to all six students - four men and two women - as well as a nineyearold girl. Aided by the police, they waded towards the boat while clinging to a rope tying the boat to a large tree on the shore.

The girl is the daughter of a tour guide who had accompanied the five students to the mainland to get food for the group. They could not return to the island because of strong winds and high waves.

The stranded seven all boarded the boat safely. They looked weary and worried but were now safe and sound - thanks to the brave operation by Chumphon's Marine Police rescue team, headed by Pol LtColonel Boonlert Srinual.

The boat skipper, Pol Senior SgtMajor Santi Banjong, a 29year veteran, admitted the operation was not easy. He said the rescue operation planned for Monday had been cancelled because of strong waves.

"In fact, today the waves were also strong, but we could not wait any more. The youngsters had run out of food. I am happy we could rescue them," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-03-30

[asiawatcher]

Well done on the side of the Thai Navy - guys who are prepared to risk their own lives to save others. But you have to laugh at this...

"... "We have warned the tourists to not splash into the sea now," Panu Woramit said yesterday in his capacity as the head of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Surat Thani branch.

What else would you expect from TAT - roll on the English teachers for Thailand.

[Bagwan]

It was not until 7.30 a.m. that the boat left the pier. I was told that sailing in the dark is dangerous as you can't see the waves.

As for the picture, I've seen bigger waves in a swimming pool. I wouldn't even class that sea as choppy.The photographer would certainly have a laundry problem if he went fishing for cod off Iceland. Does anybody else think that the boats look a tad top heavy to safely sail in rough weather?

Did anybody consider using a helicopter? Where was David Hasselhoff and his lovelies when they were needed? Getting their hair done?

[David006]

It was not until 7.30 a.m. that the boat left the pier. I was told that sailing in the dark is dangerous as you can't see the waves.

As for the picture, I've seen bigger waves in a swimming pool. I wouldn't even class that sea as choppy.The photographer would certainly have a laundry problem if he went fishing for cod off Iceland. Does anybody else think that the boats look a tad top heavy to safely sail in rough weather?

Did anybody consider using a helicopter? Where was David Hasselhoff and his lovelies when they were needed? Getting their hair done?

Those are fishing boats! surely they did not use them??? no RIBS...very strange story..probably lots of experienced sailors would have volunteered their power vessels...ah well TIT...Such a brave reporter...lol

.....isn't the Cod fishery closed in N Atlantic???lol

[Soutpeel]

It was not until 7.30 a.m. that the boat left the pier. I was told that sailing in the dark is dangerous as you can't see the waves.

As for the picture, I've seen bigger waves in a swimming pool. I wouldn't even class that sea as choppy.The photographer would certainly have a laundry problem if he went fishing for cod off Iceland. Does anybody else think that the boats look a tad top heavy to safely sail in rough weather?

Did anybody consider using a helicopter?

Actually conditions in the gulf have hit 7.5m (24 feet) with 35-40 knot winds during this last week offshore, all the O&G crew boats/supply boats, a lot bigger than Thai fishing boats have been held in port as well, as have the helicopters...so sea conditions are quite a bit bigger than you have seen in a swimming pool I can assure you.... ....have you ever sailed in rough weather?, or have you been watching Discovery Channel a tad too much ?

One assumes the vessel concerned has had to sail down the river near Chumpon before hitting open open sea, therefore this is the reason why they didnt go down the river in the dark its a smart thing to do , so maybe bad translation, in referring to the "waves" but concept is sound

"Power boats"..... as suggested by another poster, please go back to sleep...you havent got a clue...

Therefore in conclusion considering the offshore conditions this week, the sensible thing to do would have been to stay in port and contray to some of the remarks by TV's very own master mariner's, the guys concerned who under took this rescue have put their lives on the line to save people...Well done guys

[Bagwan]

It was not until 7.30 a.m. that the boat left the pier. I was told that sailing in the dark is dangerous as you can't see the waves.

As for the picture, I've seen bigger waves in a swimming pool. I wouldn't even class that sea as choppy.The photographer would certainly have a laundry problem if he went fishing for cod off Iceland. Does anybody else think that the boats look a tad top heavy to safely sail in rough weather?

Did anybody consider using a helicopter?

Actually conditions in the gulf have hit 7.5m (24 feet) with 35-40 knot winds during this last week offshore, all the O&G crew boats/supply boats, a lot bigger than Thai fishing boats have been held in port as well, as have the helicopters...so sea conditions are quite a bit bigger than you have seen in a swimming pool I can assure you.... ....have you ever sailed in rough weather?, or have you been watching Discovery Channel a tad too much ?

One assumes the vessel concerned has had to sail down the river near Chumpon before hitting open open sea, therefore this is the reason why they didnt go down the river in the dark its a smart thing to do , so maybe bad translation, in referring to the "waves" but concept is sound

"Power boats"..... as suggested by another poster, please go back to sleep...you havent got a clue...

Therefore in conclusion considering the offshore conditions this week, the sensible thing to do would have been to stay in port and contray to some of the remarks by TV's very own master mariner's, the guys concerned who under took this rescue have put their lives on the line to save people...Well done guys

Do pay attention. I was referring to the photographs which one might assume were taken by the intrepid reporter/photographer. The kids wading out to the rescue boat are not being buffeted by 24 foot waves, are they? As for your explanation regarding translation it isn't at all credible. You want me to believe that a local fisherman couldn't find his way down a river he must know well in the dark - and on an errand of mercy? Get real for heavens sake. What you seem to know about being a coxswain pales against that of a Boy Seaman just emerging from his initial training.

I spent 12 years of my young life in the Royal Navy and cut my teeth and found my sea legs on Fishery Protection Squadron duties in the North Sea and North Atlantic at the old age of 16 years. I experienced waves higher than the frigate's bridge and saw icebergs bigger than an apartment block. Hot meals were out of the question for a week or so. One stormy night we passed under the Forth Railway bridge almost sideways passing a minesweeper seeking refuge after she had lost all her boats, some of her upper deck lockers and her 4" gun. Yes, I know about winter in the North Atlantic - and typhoons in the South China Sea. Imagine, if a keyboard warrior such as you can, being thrown about in all directions trailing a cables length behind a US carrier, the Lexington if memory serves me, and watching it disappear in the trough of a wave every 20-20 seconds or so. Imagine living on the forr'd messdeck of a destroyer when you had to put up with 9" of water swilling around to the movement of the ship every time you ran into a spot of roughers. You may confidently assume that I know the difference between sheetbend and a fidgety fairlead and do not speak out of ignorance. I have the tee shirt although its a bit ragged these days.

You might be right about the weather and the sea condition at some time during the week but the pictures don't show that. do they? You have chosen the wrong target so I suggest that you never handle a weapon of any sort.

BTW I have little time for the Discovery Channel. It's target audience seems to be those gullible folk who feast on sensational presentation of fairly ordinary events. I could imagine you watching it.

[sbk]

Thats a fishing boat and NOT a Marine Police boat so its highly unlikely its the boat that rescued the kids.

This is NOT the North Sea and the boats here are NOT designed for North Sea weather.

I hope that clears things up and we can now drop a pointless argument that will go nowhere but flames.