A GERMAN MAN jumped into the sea from a ferry sailing from Koh Phangan to Surat Thani’s Don Sak pier last night (Jan. 31) with search for him continuing today after being halted due to strong waves and the darkness, Naewna newspaper said.
An examination of the tourist’s bag identified him as Mr. Florian Storz, 35, a German national.
Lt. Col. Natthaphon Sinphunpol, deputy chief of Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre at Surat Thani, was notified by Raja Ferry Port Plc that a foreign male tourist had jumped off Raja 8 ferry and was lost in the sea with support in searching for him requested
This ferry had left Koh Phangan pier at 7 p.m. and was around 15 minutes away from Surat Thani’s Don Sak pier when someone shouted that a passenger had jumped into the sea.
The ferry’s captain turned around to find him and upon receiving notification Lt. Col. Natthaphon alerted Koh Phangan police station, the island’s harbour master, Marine and Tourist police as well as rescuers. A speed boat quickly left to search for the tourist with this being extremely challenging with strong wind and waves reaching two metres high off the coast, thus forcing a halt a short while later.
The search team used a programme to calculate the direction of the currents and it is expected that from 7.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. today the missing tourist’s body will float in a southeasterly direction around 6.19 nautical miles from Koh Phangan. Even as search continues no one knows why he jumped into the sea.
CAPTION:
Raja 8 ferry sailing off Surat Thani at night, top, and the sea there this morning, Feb. 1, 2023, Front Page. Both photos: Naewna
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