French Family Rescued After 16 Hours at Sea Near Koh Samui

A 50 year old French father and his two sons, aged five and seven, were rescued after spending more than 16 hours in open water off the coast of Thailand. The family had rented a jet ski on Koh Samui around 5:00 p.m. on Thursday for a 45 minute tour. The vehicle capsized, leaving the father and children floating in the sea overnight. Local rescuers were alerted when the family failed to return by the agreed time. Search operations were suspended overnight but resumed the following morning. The group was found at approximately 10:00 a.m. on Friday. Footage of the rescue shows one boy sitting on the front of the overturned jet ski while the father floated nearby; both were wearing life jackets. Local official Amorn Chomchoey stated that the family was exhausted and had swallowed a significant amount of seawater. They were taken to a hospital for examination and were discharged shortly after. The family remained in Thailand to continue their holiday. Investigators are examining the cause of the accident. While the father described himself as an experienced driver, the jet ski operator told local media that the family appeared to have traveled outside the area specified in the rental contract.