Shocking video captured a harrowing incident where vacationers found themselves in a life-threatening situation at sea following a speedboat collision near a popular holiday destination.
A total of 52 individuals onboard, including passengers and crew members, were thrown into the water when the speedboat crashed head-on into a fishing trawler off the well-known Phi-Phi Islands in Thailand. Tragically, one tourist, believed to be an 18-year-old woman from Russia, lost her life in the tragic accident.
A large-scale rescue operation was swiftly initiated as images depicted the stranded holidaymakers and crew members struggling to stay afloat in the sea. Witnesses described scenes of chaos and urgency that transpired off the Phi-Phi Islands early on a Sunday morning, with passengers frantically trying to assist their loved ones and fellow travelers in staying above water following the collision involving the Korawich Marine 888 tourist boat.
Eyewitnesses recounted the distressing moments of people screaming and clinging to each other, while some desperately pulled their family members out of the water. Startling photos revealed individuals’ heads bobbing in the water as they cried out for help, with the front part of the speedboat severely damaged from the impact of the collision in the Andaman Sea.
Additional images from the scene depicted other tourists struggling to hoist themselves onto the damaged boat in a bid to escape the water before official assistance arrived. The incident occurred near Koh Gai Island, in the vicinity of the Phi Phi Islands, in waters between Phuket and Krabi, as reported by Thai authorities and local media.
Reports indicated that all passengers from the distressed tourist vessel were promptly rescued from the sea and brought ashore, although several visitors sustained injuries, with at least one individual initially listed in critical condition and rushed to Phi Phi Hospital.
Sadly, a Russian woman named Elizaveta S is believed to have perished in the maritime tragedy, while the remaining injured parties received medical attention from paramedics and were transferred to hospitals in Phuket for further evaluation. Thai authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash, examining factors such as speed, visibility, and navigation protocols at the time of the incident.
Officials stated that the fishing trawler Pichai Samut 1 emerged unscathed from the collision, while the speedboat suffered severe structural damage.