Two fishermen rescued by passing ferry after capsizing in choppy seas

Two fishermen were rescued after a ferry ship luckily passed by them while they were drifting on a piece of wood in the sea.

The men's fishing boat was capsized in choppy waters while sailing off the coast of Koh Samui Island in Surat Thani, southern Thailand on October 12.

They clung to the huge piece of wood that ripped from their boat and drifted for almost two hours in the sea during a stormy afternoon.

The fishermen almost lost hope because nobody knew where they were as they were pushed farther into the sea by the wind.

They also did not have radio equipment to let other ships know about their mishap before their piece of wood sinks into the water.

Luckily, a ferry ship passed by the ailing fishermen on their way to another island in the region.

One of the ferry passengers, Taweelarp Sarakan, recorded the moment the two fishermen were rescued off the rough waters.

She said: "They were very lucky to have been pushed in these areas at the right time because the ferry does not pass here until the next schedule which is tomorrow."

Another fishing boat in the area sailed near the fishermen and helped them out of the water.

They were given hot meals upon reaching the port before paramedics arrived to check their health.

However, the fishermen did not have any serious injuries as they were immediately found after a few hours since their boat sank.

The grateful fishermen were taken to their homes and was given financial assistance by the local officials for a new boat since their old one, costing more than 70,000 Baht (1,700 GBP) sank.