Thai fishermen rescued a foreign tourist after he fell from his dinghy, causing the unmanned boat to spin in circles off Nai Yang Beach in Phuket yesterday, February 22.
The incident was shared publicly after a police officer, Bandasak Silert from Ao Luek Police Station, recorded the scene on his mobile phone while spending time on the beach with his family. He later provided the video to several news agencies.
In the footage, a white dinghy is seen moving in circles in the sea with no one on board. It later collides with a local fishing boat, prompting the officer and his family members to shout in shock.
ThaiRath reported that the foreign tourist had anchored his yacht off Nai Yang Beach and used the dinghy to travel to shore. He allegedly fell from the dinghy while the engine was still running, causing the vessel to circle uncontrollably as shown in the video.
Local fishermen who witnessed the incident rushed to pull the man from the water. They then moved their own boat close to the spinning dinghy, allowing the tourist to jump back on board and regain control.
The tourist was able to re-enter the dinghy and shut off the engine. No damage was reported to either the dinghy or the fishing boat, and no injuries were reported.
Online, Thai social media users praised the fishermen and the tourist for quick actions that helped prevent further damage near the beach.
In a similar incident, a foreign woman was previously rescued by Thai fishermen after floating in the sea off Krabi for more than six hours. She later said she had swum from Koh Lanta Yai Beach, where her accommodation was located, in the evening the day before and became lost.
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