Missing Brit tourist believed to be 'trapped inside' wreck of sunken dive boat

27 December 2023 , 14:24

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Millie Young is missing off the coast of Thailand (Image: ViralPress)

A missing British woman is thought to be trapped inside a sunken ship after it sunk off the coast of Thailand days before Christmas.

Millie Young was dragged down as choppy waters hit the vessel four miles off the Surin Islands archipelago on Saturday, December 23. Navy officials say 12 other holidaymakers managed to escape the boat as it went down, but 57-year-old Millie has not been seen since.

The ship's cook Samniang Chaichana, 67, is also thought to have drowned with Millie, who was on the diving and snorkelling trip with the Degregorio family, also from Brighton. Navy chiefs said they will now use sonar to find the wreckage.

The tourists were on the Reggae Queen - a large liveaboard ship that took tourists on overnight diving trips around the idyllic tropical islands. Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre spokesman Pichet Songtan said: "The rescue committee is working to find the sunken ship as quickly as possible. We believe that the missing people are trapped inside. The captain of the tour boat has provided additional information. He said that the boat had left Thap Lamu Pier in the afternoon of December 22, along with 13 tourists and five boat crew members.

"On their way to the target dive point at Ko Torinla island, the waves were so strong, so he stopped the boat at anchor at Ko Phra Thong to wait for the wind and waves to calm down. When the wind and waves calmed down, they continued sailing towards the destination but it turned out there was a strong wind near the destination as well.

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12 other tourists made it off the boat (Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress)

"At around 4 am, the waves were more than three meters high, then the water began to wash into the boat. The waste water pump in the boat could not remove the waste water. Therefore, the ship's officers were asked to wake up all the sleeping tourists, along with arranging life rafts for evacuation before the ship sank.

"The ship floated on the waves for more than three hours until another boat found it and rescued the group at around 9am."

Kelly-Ann Mills