One Venus 14 Crew Member Found Alive off Thailand
One crew member of the sunken Thai fuel tanker Venus 14 has been found alive in the Gulf of Thailand, two days after the vessel went down about 27 nautical miles southwest of Sattahip Naval Base in Chonburi province. The fishing boat Phon Nuchit 5 picked him up at about 10.15 pm on 12 November, roughly 30 nautical miles from the sinking position, in waters towards Khlong Wan off Prachuap Khiri Khan province. Prachuap Khiri Khan lies on the western shore of the Gulf, south of Hua Hin.
The Royal Thai Navy confirmed the rescue on the morning of 13 November. Rough seas stopped the fishing boat from entering harbour, so a Marine Department vessel was sent to bring the survivor ashore. His name and medical condition have not been released. CrewMirror first reported the sinking of Venus 14 on 11 November.
From the CrewMirror Blog
Five crew members remain missing, and navy ships and aircraft have moved their search to the area where the survivor was found, using drift calculations. Reports differ on the crew count: the navy says six were on board, while a local marine office figure mentioned seven. The 32.5-metre tanker supplied diesel to fishing boats and was reportedly carrying about 280,000 litres of fuel. No leak had been confirmed by midday on 13 November, but oil spill teams remain on standby to protect nearby coral reefs.
The cause of the sinking is still unknown. Reports say the operator lost contact with the tanker around 5 am on 11 November, about four hours before the navy was alerted.
CrewMirror Takeaway
The delay between lost contact and the alert shows why small coastal tankers need clear reporting routines. Crews on such vessels should keep lifejackets, liferafts and distress beacons ready, and operators should raise the alarm as soon as a ship stops responding.
