PATTAYA, Thailand – Four French nationals were rescued after being stranded overnight on a remote island in the Gulf of Thailand. The incident prompted a sea rescue operation after Supot Chomdokmai raised an alarm on his Facebook page on May 2, concerning a missing speedboat.
Supot urgently requested assistance in locating the “Vazimolo” which failed to return from an excursion to Jomtien Beach the previous day. Concerns heightened when a seaman discovered the empty boat adrift in the sea, miles from Si Chang Island, Sriracha District, with no sign of its occupants.
Maritime rescue teams from Pattaya launched a coordinated search operation. After extensive efforts, they located the four stranded individuals on Manwichai Island, 15 nautical miles off the coast of Bang Saray.
The stranded French nationals, identified as Adrien Simon, Mehdi Benchoula, Vincent Ferrer and Stefan Stauat, recounted their harrowing experience, saying that their boat drifted away from the island after the anchor became loose while they were diving underwater during a fishing excursion, leading to a terrifying night on the island before rescue arrived. The stranded divers were safely brought ashore at Bang Saray Beach, Sattahip District.
