UPDATE: See ’Suspicions raised over ‘Marco Polo’ incident’
“Yes, it’s true, and I’m a happy man again, because my lady is back,” Mr Ceferin told The Phuket News in a brief message today (Jan 16).
“A lot of things are missing by the fishermen, but [it] doesn’t matter,” he added.
Phuket Info Center broke the news locally on Friday afternoon (Jan 13), citing a report by MGROnline.
The ‘Marco Polo’ was found unmanned in Indonesian waters. Efforts were underway to bring the boat, with an estimated value of about US$300,000 (about B10 million), back to Phuket, said the report.
According to MGROnline, the Phuket office of the Marine Department was notified at about 8am on Friday that the yacht had been found. The Phuket Marine Office as of today still has yet to publicly confirm the news. Mr Ceferin confirmed the report himself directly today.
Nattida Niamnak, manager of fishing vessel Sor Lap Chollada 32, reported the finding of the yacht, explaining that Chaitong Wongpin on board the boat had spotted two sailboats floating near the boundary for entering Indonesian territorial waters. Both yachts appeared to be adrift, which seemed unusual and worth reporting, said the report.
Acting on instructions from his operator, Capt Chaitong inspected the two yachts and ‘tied up’ to them so they would not float away. The ‘Marco Polo’ was confirmed to be one of the two yachts.
Phuket Marin Chief Mr Nachaphong said that the Phuket Governor had been informed and the ‘Marco Polo’ was on its way back to Phuket, the report said.
The finding of the yacht followed Mr Ceferin appealing to the Phuket Provincial Fisheries Office to publicise information seeking help in finding the missing yacht.
A reward was being offered for information that led directly to the recovery of the missing yacht, Phuket Fisheries Chief Sitthipol Muangsong said.
Mr Ceferin had been searching for his yacht after it was discovered missing, possibly stolen, from Nai Harn on Dec 28.