The captain, Taweep Choonoon and all 10 crew members were rescued by a flotilla of boats included Krabi Marine Police launch 523, a boat from the Krabi Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, and another from the Krabi Provincial Administration Organisation. None of the sailors was hurt.
Pol Lt Col Chaiyasit Kancharoen, inspector of Krabi Marine Police, told the Phuket News on Wednesday evening, “We can’t begin salvaging the Unity yet. It is too dark. We will start work on that tomorrow morning.”
The Unity, he added, was employed to carry goods between the mainland and Koh Phi Phi.
This is the second cargo ship to get into difficulties in heavy weather in the waters around Phuket. On July 4 the Bangladeshi cargo ship MV Hope was abandoned by its crew south of Phuket after it listed severely. Nine crew were rescued and two were found dead. The remaining six are still missing.