Thai navy officials have acknowledged that the HTMS Sukothai had very few life jackets on board when it sank in the Gulf of Thailand.
The ship sank with 105 sailors on board Sunday night, 75 of whom were rescued within hours of the incident. Rescuers recovered one more survivor and five bodies Tuesday, bringing the total rescued to 76, while 24 remain missing.
The survivor picked up Tuesday, Chananyu Kansriya, was found floating in debris 37 miles from where the ship sank, according to CBS News. Navy officials said Kansriya was weak when he was rescued, but he received treatment aboard a Navy frigate.
The harsh weather conditions that initially caused the Sukothai to sink have persisted and have hampered rescue efforts. The Navy says the small boats could not operate under the severe conditions. Instead, the navy has fielded four larger vessels and an assortment of seven aircraft.
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A rescue boat joins a navy ship at Bang Saphan pier in Prachuap Khiri Khan district, on December 19, 2022. LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP via Getty Images)
Navy divers inspect the hull of the HTMS Kraburi docked at Bang Saphan Pier in Prachuap Khiri Khan on December 20, 2022, during the operation to search for survivors after the Thai warship HTMS Sukhothai capsized and sank a about 37 kilometers (22 miles) from the coast on December 18. (LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP via Getty Images)
The waves in the gulf were reportedly over 3 meters high, or about 10 feet, when the Sukothai sank. The boat sailed in the conditions despite bad weather warnings and waves of up to 4 meters
Reports say strong winds and high waves sprayed water onto the ship’s deck, knocking out its electrical system. With the ship’s power cut, the sailors were unable to pump water out of the ship, causing her to list aggressively and then sink.
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Commissioned in 1987, the Sukothai had a length of 252 feet and a water displacement of 959 tons. Thai authorities plan to salvage what they can of the ship after salvage efforts conclude.
Authorities warned that it was unlikely anyone could survive more than two days in the open sea.
This is the moving moment a missing Thai sailor, Chananyu Kansriya, was found floating in a life raft on Tuesday afternoon.
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Survivors of the sinking interviewed by local media said there were not enough life jackets for everyone on board because the ship was carrying members of the Thai Marine Corps and the Coastal Defense Command, according to CBS. The typical crew of the Sukothai includes only 87 people.
