The captain of a yacht that was bound for Langkawi, Malaysia from Phuket — which mysteriously washed ashore unmanned in Sabang, Indonesia — has been safely rescued by a passing cargo vessel off Sumatra.
Paul Van Isacker reported himself as alive and well to the Phuket-based Thai Marine Business Association yesterday after the group yesterday shared images online of his yacht, Elysion, washed ashore on Pulau Weh, a small island just offshore from Banda Aceh.
“Anyone missing a yacht?” said the original Facebook post, which noted that a small Thai flag was tied to the yacht’s mast.
A video of the yacht being toppled by waves on the beach – alone and unmanned – also circulated online on Saturday.
“I [planned to] sail Elysion, a Belgian-registered yacht, from Phuket to Langkawi but had to abandon the vessel about 40 nautical miles west of Koh Lipe on Jan. 1,” Isacker reported.
The skipper was forced to abandon ship due to several failures, notably a broken boom, engine failure, a broken backstay, and more. I was safely rescued by a passing cargo ship,” he added.
The yacht has been pushed onto the beach at the small island and it is unclear what damage it has sustained and no plan has yet been announced to recover the vessel.
Story: The Phuket News
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