British tourist tells of horror as boat sinks off Thai island
Stock photo, Koh Phi Phi: Rex
A British tourist has spoken of his ordeal after a speedboat carrying dozens of holidaymakers near Thailand's popular resort island of Koh Phi Phi sank in abnormally rough seas.
The boat was carrying 37 Asian and European tourists and four Thai crew members when it sank on Monday on the Andaman Sea, Marine Police Lt Col Panya Chaichana said.
The speedboat was heading to another popular tourist destination, Phuket, at the time of the incident, and all passengers survived.
But British tourist Colin Dalimors, 48, said the first giant wave swamped the boat and stopped the engine, and then another wave struck soon after, dealing a fatal blow.
According to the Associated Press, he said: "Everyone was trying to get out. The boat sank, the boat went down.
"I've never seen anything like that."
William Ihaka, a 43-year-old tourist from New Zealand, told The Associated Press the experience was terrifying.
"The sea was very rough ... the water kept coming over the front (of) the boat, and there was so much water coming over the front that the boat started filling up with water.
" The crew "told us to put life jackets on, and about five minutes later, the boat sank. So we all jumped off. We were floating in the sea."
Panya Chaichana said that navy ships, fishing boats and other nearby vessels raced to the scene and managed to rescue everyone on board.
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