Stillearly Posted March 17 Posted March 17 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/16/british-tourist-missing-after-diving-boat-catches-fire-off-thai-island A British tourist is missing in Thailand after the tour boat she was travelling on caught fire off the island of Koh Tao. Alexandra Clarke, 26, from Lambeth, south London, was onboard the Davy Jones Locker for a diving excursion. She was reportedly in the bathroom when the blaze broke out, just before a distress signal was sent at 9.25am local time. There were 21 other people onboard, including 15 tourists, two crew members and four diving instructors and assistants. They were safely evacuated by private vessels and volunteers while a second team of volunteers worked to put out the blaze. Thai authorities then discovered Clarke was missing. Capt Natthaphon Sinpoonphon, the deputy director of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre of Surat Thani, said the boat was between five and six nautical miles away from the island when a fire started in the engine room and “spread through the boat rapidly”. He said: “Preliminary reports indicate that the engine room, captain’s cabin and rear restroom were damaged. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.” It is understood rescue teams were initially unable to get close to the boat because of the flames, as there were fears of further explosions from fuel onboard the vessel. Sinpoonphon said: “The search is continuing for one missing tourist, a female, Alexandra Clarke, from the United Kingdom. “The conditions at sea are dangerous with the wind and currents. All boats in the area have been notified. Search and rescue teams were immediately mobilised.” A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who is missing in Thailand and are in contact with local authorities.” A video shared on social media showed the boat engulfed in flames. The Davy Jones Locker was reportedly transporting tourists from Koh Tao, a small island that forms part of the Chumphon Archipelago, to a nearby diving site at South-west Pinnacle. 4
paul williams Posted March 17 Posted March 17 2 minutes ago, Stillearly said: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/16/british-tourist-missing-after-diving-boat-catches-fire-off-thai-island A British tourist is missing in Thailand after the tour boat she was travelling on caught fire off the island of Koh Tao. Alexandra Clarke, 26, from Lambeth, south London, was onboard the Davy Jones Locker for a diving excursion. She was reportedly in the bathroom when the blaze broke out, just before a distress signal was sent at 9.25am local time. There were 21 other people onboard, including 15 tourists, two crew members and four diving instructors and assistants. They were safely evacuated by private vessels and volunteers while a second team of volunteers worked to put out the blaze. Thai authorities then discovered Clarke was missing. Capt Natthaphon Sinpoonphon, the deputy director of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre of Surat Thani, said the boat was between five and six nautical miles away from the island when a fire started in the engine room and “spread through the boat rapidly”. He said: “Preliminary reports indicate that the engine room, captain’s cabin and rear restroom were damaged. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.” It is understood rescue teams were initially unable to get close to the boat because of the flames, as there were fears of further explosions from fuel onboard the vessel. Sinpoonphon said: “The search is continuing for one missing tourist, a female, Alexandra Clarke, from the United Kingdom. “The conditions at sea are dangerous with the wind and currents. All boats in the area have been notified. Search and rescue teams were immediately mobilised.” A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British woman who is missing in Thailand and are in contact with local authorities.” A video shared on social media showed the boat engulfed in flames. The Davy Jones Locker was reportedly transporting tourists from Koh Tao, a small island that forms part of the Chumphon Archipelago, to a nearby diving site at South-west Pinnacle. WTF ..who on Gods earth names tteir boat "Davy Jones Locker"..inviting disaster Sad though the story is ..God has a sense of humour 1
Horizondave Posted March 17 Posted March 17 I read this story yesterday on a Thai website, they referred to the missing lady as being in the toilet. The story above has changed that to 'bathroom'; I can't really imagine a bathroom on a small Thai boat like the one involved, probably no more than a bucket. Being serious though, it is a very sad story and one must have thoughts for the lost girl and her family. It does look like the girl has not survived after all this time. Totally tragic. .
forcebwithu Posted March 17 Posted March 17 32 minutes ago, Horizondave said: I read this story yesterday on a Thai website, they referred to the missing lady as being in the toilet. The story above has changed that to 'bathroom'; I can't really imagine a bathroom on a small Thai boat like the one involved, probably no more than a bucket. Being serious though, it is a very sad story and one must have thoughts for the lost girl and her family. It does look like the girl has not survived after all this time. Totally tragic. . The photo in the article was taken after the wooden structure that would have housed the head was totally engulfed and destroyed by the fire. The head on these boats use a sliding wooden door for privacy, and I can image a situation where a fire has spread so fast that someone using the head at the time might panic and not be able to slide the door open and escape. Terrible tragedy. https://www.facebook.com/DJLKohTao 2 1
boydeste Posted March 17 Posted March 17 Very sad and yes, if the flames went up that quickly, the toilet would probably be engulfed very quickly or at least be full of life threatening smoke. RIP
AJSP Posted March 17 Posted March 17 What an horrific and sad way to end here young life. Terrible. RIP 1
lazarus Posted March 17 Posted March 17 When I lived in south Thailand ('06-09) I often thought... There's a thousand different ways a tourist can die. Safety is an afterthought for most Thai operations, boats especially. RIP. 1 1
KhunDon Posted March 18 Posted March 18 Saw something on the news and it referred to a “ship” and I vaguely remember a reference to a missing man in the sea, or I thought it was a man. Obviously not. How that fire spread so quickly that she couldn’t get out is a mystery. Maybe fuel in the bilges or something flammable next to the seat of the fire possibly, plus she was probably disoriented in a strange place. Mind you, in Thailand the fire could have been caused by anything. So sad and something that could’ve been avoided. Condolences to her family.
Khun Ling Posted March 18 Posted March 18 Might have thought she was having a seasickness puke but the water looks calm
KhunDon Posted March 18 Posted March 18 (edited) Saw in another news story that the fuel tanks had been filled and overflowed, so that’ll have gone into the bilges presumably and maybe the heat from engine exhausts was all that was needed to start the fire and the fire would have quickly engulfed the wooden superstructure. Of course this is all speculation, but a fire that spreads so quickly had to have fuel at its core. Edited March 18 by KhunDon
lazarus Posted March 20 Posted March 20 On 3/17/2025 at 6:30 AM, lazarus said: When I lived in south Thailand ('06-09) I often thought... There's a thousand different ways a tourist can die. yep. . . . Police at Saku Police Station, Phuket Province, investigated a 43-year-old Lithuanian tourist who died in a motorcycle accident after falling on the road along Naithon Beach Road, Thalang District, on March 20. The investigation revealed that a pine tree branch fell and hit him directly on the head, causing his helmet to break. Officials have contacted the Lithuanian Embassy in Thailand to notify the family. https://www.facebook.com/KhaosodEnglish . . . 2
KhunDon Posted March 20 Posted March 20 Yup, a branch that thick would probably kill him outright. You never know when your time is up. One minute you’re happily riding home, maybe having had a couple of beers, next you’re meeting your maker. 😕 1
forcebwithu Posted March 21 Posted March 21 Falling coconuts is one of my worries when we're sitting around palm trees after a hash run. We always make sure to not sit directly under the tree. Over the years I've heard a few falling to earth nearby and they make quite a thud when they hit ground. Hope I never hear what it sounds like when they connect with the head of a human. 1 1
KhunDon Posted March 21 Posted March 21 We had several coconut trees in the garden and falling nuts were a serious hazard to our customers. So we used to pay our 2 maids a handsome fee for shinning up the trees and cut down every nut. And no, I didn’t look up their skirts when the climbed up, as they wore shorts when they did it. 🤗 2
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