(Monday, March 9, 2009 8:02 AM CST)  News is just in that a dive live-aboard boat sank late Sunday night in the Andaman Sea near Phuket in Indonesia.  The boat, the MV Dive Asia 1, sank in an apparent storm that swamped the vessel, throwing all 30 passengers and crew into the sea.  Most of the passengers were able to get aboard several inflatable life rafts and were later picked up by a fishing trawler and Phuket Marine Police boats.  Unfortunately, there are seven passengers that are not yet accounted for.  According to the operator of the vessel, a severe storm approached at about 11PM local time on Sunday night and the vessel began to flounder.  The crews was able to get most of them safely into life rafts.  There were no Americans aboard the vessel at the time of the sinking.

We will update this story when additional information is available.

Phil Ellis

www.divesports.com