A French father and his two young sons have been rescued off the coast of Thailand's Koh Samui after their rented jet ski capsized, leaving them stranded for over 16 hours. The family was located around 10 a.m. local time on Friday, having failed to return at their agreed-upon time the previous evening.
The father, 50, and his sons, aged 5 and 7, had rented the jet ski on Thursday afternoon from a local operator on the resort island. When they did not return as scheduled, the operator alerted local rescuers and authorities, prompting a search operation.
Search efforts, which involved speedboats and other jet skis, were conducted throughout the night and resumed Friday morning. Footage of the rescue showed the jet ski nearly submerged, with only its front section visible above water. The father was seen floating nearby while one of the boys sat atop the capsized craft, both wearing life jackets.
Rescuers were heard reassuring the family, with one shouting, "Calm down" and "They survived." The family was provided with water and helped onto another boat. According to local government official Amorn Chomchoey, the father and sons were pale and exhausted from swallowing seawater but otherwise in good condition.
The family was taken to a local hospital for medical checks and was subsequently discharged. The boys' mother and older sister had been waiting on the beach and were reunited with the family, who are continuing their holiday. Investigators are examining the cause of the capsize, which occurred approximately 15 minutes after the jet ski began operating. The father reportedly stated that rough waves had caused the engine to stop, and he described himself as an experienced jet ski driver.
The jet ski operator indicated to other local media that the family may have ventured beyond the area permitted by their rental agreement.
Investigators are looking into why the jet ski capsized after operating for just 15 minutes. The father said rough waves had struck the jet ski, causing its engine to stop, the Bangkok Post reported. The BBC reported that the father described himself as an experienced jet ski driver.
