Phuket – An official of Phuket Provincial Public Relations Office, Bussaya Jaipeam, said the capsized Phoenix tourist boat could not be recovered from the sea bed this week due to bad weather conditions.
Bussaya cited a report from the Director of Phuket Provincial Marine Office, Wiwat Chidcherdwong, that the operation to lift the shipwreck could not be completed because of strong currents and high waves.
The Marine Department commenced the recovery operation on August 2 and has so far successfully installed all necessary equipment to lift up the boat, including a 10,000-liter air balloon, a pulley system, and a big sea crane.
All cables have been attached to the wreckage. However, strong currents and high waves caused the boat to be too unstable to be lifted at this time.
The operating team expects to immediately perform the shipwreck recovery as soon as the weather and the sea would permit.
