At least 30 sailors were missing after a U.S.-made Royal Thai Navy ship sank in the Gulf of Thailand on Monday, resulting in an hours-long search by helicopters.
75 sailors have already been recovered from the HTMS Sukothai, a corvette made in Tacoma, Washington. According to The Associated Press, the ship sailed despite warnings of poor weather and waves up to 4 meters high in the Gulf of Thailand.
According to Thai media, one rescued sailor floated in the water for three hours before being rescued.
In order to search for sailors laterally, rescuers must use helicopters with spotlights to search from above due to the high waves.
According to the AP, strong winds and high waves sprayed water onto the ship’s deck, knocking out its electrical system. Without power, sailors couldn’t pump water out, causing it to list aggressively and sink.
After completing rescue efforts, Thai authorities plan to salvage what they can from the Sukothai, a 252 foot vessel with a displacement of 959 tons.