Rescue boats were sent out at 4:30pm yesterday from Krabi after an SOS from the Sor Jatuporn, which carries goods regularly from Krabi to Phi Phi.
The boat sank near Runtee Bay, two kilometres from Phi Phi pier. The rescuers were able to pick up 14 people but one Burmese crew member was still missing this afternoon.
Tosak Praditjareon, 59, the owner of the vessel, told police that the boat left Saithai in Krabi at 1:30pm, heading for Phi Phi under the command of Seksan Changreur, 50.
As it approached Runtee Bay, it was hit by a four-metre wave that flipped it over. It then sank. Crew were left floating in the sea among pieces of cargo for more than 30 minutes before help arrived.
Today Phi Phi Police Inspector Lt Col Danai Niyomdacha led a team of Marine Police and divers to begin the search around the wreck 20 metres beow the surface, to try to locate the missing crewman, a 29-year-old known only as Uo.
Uo’s brother Moo said that his brother could not swim, and might have been trapped in a cabin on the boat.