Vice Admiral Somnuk Preampramot, Commander of the Third Area Command in Phuket, gave the order for patrol boat PCM 993 to render assistance after Cdr Niyawat PeungCheun, Commander of Air and Coastal Defense Command 491, received a call from doctors at the Ban Koh Lipe Tambon Health Promoting Hospital explaining the situation.
The health of the young boy, Worachot Namwong, had taken a turn for the worse from about 3pm on Tuesday (June 19). With Worachot’s severe symptoms not abating after five hours, doctors at the hospital called the national emergency Narenthorn EMS Center to dispatch a helicopter to medevac the child to Satun Hospital on the mainland.
However, the highs winds made it impossible for the helicopter to fly safely to the island, and so the speedboat Ploy Siam was then used to transport the boy from Koh Lipe.
Then the simple transport mission took its own turn for the worse, when the Ploy Siam became overpowered by the strong wind and waves while offshore from Koh Adang, still not near the mainland.
The patrol boat PCM 993 soon arrived and after a mid-sea transfer to bring Worachot and his accompanying medical team and parents on board, brought them safely to shore at La-ngu at 4am yesterday (June 20).
Worachot was taken by ambulance to Satun Hospital, where he could receive better treatment with the facilities there, and at last report is starting to make good recovery on his condition.
Aminuddin Hayayawa, Public Health Officer at the Ban Koh Lipe Tambon Health Promoting Hospital, expressed his gratitude to all for the help, including staff at the from Siam International Clinic on Koh Lipe.
“Worachot is now on assisted breathing equipment and is now safe,” he said.
"Thank you to the Third Area Command and the medical team. It’s a great way to keep the child safe,” said Mr Aminuddin said.