French father and two sons rescued after 16 hours adrift on capsized jet ski off Koh Samui
A 50-year-old French father and his two sons, aged 5 and 7, were rescued off Koh Samui after spending more than 16 hours adrift when their rented jet ski capsized roughly 15 minutes into the trip.
What happened
A 50-year-old French father and his two sons, aged 5 and 7, were rescued on Friday morning after drifting for more than 16 hours off the Thai island of Koh Samui. The father had rented a jet ski on the island, a popular tourist destination in the Gulf of Thailand, around 17:00 local time on Thursday. The jet ski capsized after only about 15 minutes of navigation, leaving the three family members stranded at sea. Rescue services found them around 10:00 on Friday, roughly 16 hours later.
Local government official Amorn Chomchoey told AFP the family was in poor condition when located.
We found them exhausted, they had swallowed a lot of seawater. They were pale, especially the boys.
The three were taken to hospital for examination and discharged shortly afterwards. Officials said the family remained in Thailand to continue their vacation.
- Father rents jet ski on Koh Samui and sets out with his two sons, aged 5 and 7
- Jet ski capsizes after roughly 15 minutes of navigation
- Rental company alerts authorities when family fails to return at the agreed time
- Rescue services find the three adrift; only the nose of the jet ski remains above water
How the rescue unfolded
The jet ski rental company grew concerned when the family did not return at the agreed time and alerted authorities, who launched a large search operation. Footage released by the Koh Samui district office shows the jet ski almost entirely submerged, with only the nose still above water. One of the boys had climbed onto the exposed section, while his brother and father held onto the vessel in the water. Both the father and the boy on the hull were wearing life jackets.
In the rescue footage, a rescuer can be heard shouting "calm down" and then "they survived" before helping one of the boys aboard a boat and giving the family drinking water.
Questions over the capsizing
Investigators are trying to determine why the jet ski overturned after only a little more than 15 minutes on the water. The secretary of the local official told AFP that the father had presented himself as an experienced pilot. However, the jet ski rental company told local media the family appeared to have ventured outside the zone authorised by the rental contract. The combination of a short trip, an experienced pilot's claim, and a possible breach of the designated area is under examination.
The incident highlights the risks of watercraft rentals in tourist areas, where operators set designated zones and return times. The family's survival over a full night at sea, with two young children clinging to a nearly submerged jet ski, turned a routine rental into a prolonged rescue operation.
