SATTAHIP, Thailand – The Royal Thai Navy has shifted its search for missing crew members of the fishing boat S. Kanchanawari 888 to the sea surface and air after divers found no one trapped inside the sunken vessel. Rear Adm. Parach Rattanachaiphan, Royal Thai Navy spokesman, said on September 24 that divers had carried out a detailed search of the wreck and surrounding area following the vessel’s sinking offshore on September 23.
The First Naval Area deployed patrol boat Tor.112 together with divers from the Naval Special Warfare Command, water-rescue teams from Sawang Rojanatham Foundation in Sattahip and volunteer rescue divers to inspect the wreck. The search found no crew members inside the vessel. However, the Navy said the operation would continue because the remaining crew may have been carried away from the sinking site by wind and ocean currents.
The First Naval Area has therefore shifted its focus to surface and aerial searches. Search areas are being calculated using SARMap data from the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre, taking into account wind direction, water currents and the time elapsed since the accident. The Navy is also coordinating with fishing boats and other vessels operating in the area to keep watch for any signs of the missing crew.
Anyone who spots possible clues or people in the water is being asked to immediately notify the Royal Thai Navy or the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre. The Navy said it will continue the search with air assets, surface vessels and support from civilian networks while monitoring conditions and adjusting the search area as necessary.
