Thai rescuers carry an injured tourist on to the pier after being rescued from the sea after a boat accident in Pattaya, southeastern Thailand Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013
A scuba diving tour group came to the aid of more than 200 people on board an overcrowded ferry when it began to sink near a Thai tourist resort on Sunday.
The 30 divers had spent the day in waters off Pattaya before their boat’s captain received a distress call and changed course, reaching the ferry before rescue services arrived, according to the Wall Street Journal. The strongest swimmers jumped into the water to help pull people to safety, while others stood ready to provide aid to survivors. The divers had retrieved 71 people from the water by the time rescue crews arrived.
The cause of the accident, which left six dead, is still unknown but the ferry captain has confessed to being under the influence of drugs while on duty.
[WSJ]