A TOURIST from Norway found the backpack of one of the sailors missing after the HTMS 442 Sukhothai sank in the Gulf of Thailand last Sunday off Koh Tao beach today (Dec. 24), Workpointtoday.com said.
The unidentified tourist handed over the backpack to Pol. Lt. Thanawat Sukkhata, deputy head for investigation at Koh Tao police station, and Koh Phangan’s Deputy District Chief Mr. Noppruek Chamnanrit.
Found within the backpack were Private Thaweesak Sae Siew’s ID card, Navy ID card number 21/64 plus Queen Sirikit Hospital and ATM cards. Also found were 46 baht in cash, a bronze-gold iPhone, clothes and toiletries.
The tourist who found the bag said he was holidaying on Koh Tao with his family and they were staying at Haad Tien Resort. While walking on the beach he saw a brown backpack floating nearby so went and brought it ashore.
He then told the resort staff who called the police and district officials.
The tourist added that he had been following the news of the navy corvette having sunk and when he saw the backpack was certain it belonged to one of the missing sailors.
Meanwhile the navy’s spokesman Adm. Kruang Monthat-phlin said of the six bodies found today five were ascertained to be sailors but there was no evidence to verify that the sixth body was so, TV Channel 7 said.
He summarised that of the 105 sailors and marine passengers on board the warship 76 were rescued, six have been confirmed to have died while the bodies of six others are being verified.
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The unidentified Norwegian tourist handing over the backpack he found to Thai officials. Photo: Workpointtoday.com
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