PHUKET: A ship's engineer who suffered a heart attack while the vessel was 50 nautical miles off the coast of Phuket was quickly picked up by a navy patrol boat and taken ashore for hospital treatment on Sunday.
The Region 3 Thailand Maritime Enforcement Command Centre released details on Monday.
Capt Pichet Songtan, the centre's director of information, said that about 3.20pm the MCC Mandalay, a cargo ship registered in Turkey, called for help. The captain said an engineer had suffered a heart attack and needed immediate medical attention.
The ship was about 50 nautical miles south of Phuket.
VAdm Sompong Nakthong, commander of the 3rd Naval Area, ordered the patrol boat Tor 233 to take aboard a medical team from HMTS Laem Sing and go to the ship's assistance.
The patrol boat met up with the ship and the engineer was brought ashore, arriving about 7.10pm at the 3rd Naval Area's landing pier in Phuket. He was admitted for treatment at Bangkok Hospital Phuket.
