Two New Zealand tourists, who were among 41 people rescued from rough seas off Thailand after a speed boat sank, have told of their terrifying ordeal.
Everyone on board the Luk Pradu 26, including 37 tourists, were saved after it sank on Monday in the Andaman Sea near the resort island of Koh Phi Phi, Lieutenant Colonel Panya Chaichana of the Thai marine police said.
Navy ships, fishing boats and other nearby vessels raced to the scene and were able to rescue everyone on board, Lt Col Panya told the Associated Press.
William Ihaka, 43, told the AP 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," he said.
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."
Elizabeth Hickey, 39, who was with Mr Ihaka, said she was "scared and petrified".
"We were both seated at the front, and the water hit us before it hit anyone else," she said.
"We could see the waves, and we just knew that it was going to go down. we knew that the boat was going to sink."
Another tourist said they were floating in the sea for about an hour before being rescued.
The Phuket News reported that seven people were taken to hospital in Phuket but none was said to be in a serious condition.
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