Body found in search for BBC journalist missing in Mekong river trip
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Version 0 of 1. A British journalist is feared drowned in south-east Asia after the traditional river cruise boat she was sailing in struck rapids, broke in two and sank within seconds. Search teams who had been scouring the Mekong River in Laos for Johanna Powell, a 37-year-old BBC picture editor from Cardiff, since she went missing at the weekend found a body on Monday some 25 miles downstream from where the accident happened. The woman’s family in south Wales was told about the discovery but were waiting for formal identification before giving up hope that she could still be alive. Powell was with three friends on a three-week holiday in Thailand and Laos. The four were taking part in a two-day boat trip along the Mekong, swollen by days of rain, when the vessel was damaged in rapids. The rest of the passengers and crew members managed to swim to shore or cling to rocks before picked up by another boat but there was no sign of Powell. There were unconfirmed claims that the captain of the boat had been questioned by local police. Powell’s mother, Theresa, told the BBC she had been worried about the trip, which was arranged partly to celebrate one of the party’s 40th birthday. She said her daughter texted her just before she stepped on to the plane to tell her: “I love you … Everything is going to be fine.” Her father, Donald, broke down as he described a “lovely girl” who never had a bad word to say about anyone. He said the family still hoped the body that had been found might not be Powell’s. “She doesn’t deserve to end up dead,” he said. “Out of all the people on the boat the others were lucky and got to the river bank – but Johanna is still missing.” Tributes began to pour in for Powell, who studied French and media studies at the University of East Anglia. On her Twitter profile she describes herself as a bar owner as well as a BBC editor, and reveals she has a dog called Agatha Christie. The BBC said its thoughts were with her family, friends and colleagues. The Cardiff football team, Cyncoed FC Ladies, said: “Jo had a special place in the hearts of many of our players.” Powell and her three friends were taking part in a popular two-day trip down the Mekong from Thailand to Laos when their boat got into trouble in rapids. The boat was around 35 metres long with open sides and a canopy roof. Adisak Star, the co-owner of the cruise company Negi of Mekong, which owned the boat, said: “The boat hit a rock in the rapids and sank in a minute. It was that fast. Everyone on board went into the water but there were rocks for people to cling to. They were all able to get to the river bank except for Johanna. We do not know what has happened to her.” Star said the river had been swollen by rain and it was possible rocks had been shifted around by the strength of the current. He said the boat had broken up quickly; water had rushed in and the vessel capsized as the passengers moved to one side away from the rushing water. One passenger said she had scrambled across the canopy to safety and described the water as being churned up like a washing machine. Star said the boat was equipped with life jackets but said the boat got into difficulty so quickly that the passengers did not have time to put them on. Police divers and villagers combed the river and its banks following the accident on Saturday, which happened near the village of Pak Beng. Thousands of western tourists take the slow boat trip down the Mekong river from northern Thailand into Laos. The destination for many is the city of Luang Prabang, which has been listed as an Unesco world heritage site. A Foreign Office spokesman said officials were helping Powell’s family. “We can confirm that a British national has been reported missing following a cruise boat incident on the Mekong river near Pak Beng, Laos,” he said. “We are liaising closely with the local authorities and are providing consular assistance to the family.” A BBC Wales spokeswoman said: “We are aware that a body has been found in the area where Jo went missing following a boating incident on Saturday. Our thoughts remain with her family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time.” |