French family rescued after 16 hours adrift off Thai island
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The family’s jet ski had capsized off Thailand’s Koh Samui island.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: UNSPLASH
- A French father and his two young sons were rescued after drifting 16 hours at sea off Koh Samui when their jet ski capsized.
- They were found exhausted but in stable condition and released from hospital after medical checks.
- Investigations are ongoing as the family may have travelled beyond the agreed rental area.
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BANGKOK – A French family spent more than 16 hours floating at sea after their jet ski capsized off Thailand’s Koh Samui island before being rescued, a local official told AFP on Aug 15.
The 50-year-old father and his two sons, aged five and seven, were taken to hospital for checks after their overnight ordeal, but were discharged shortly afterwards, local government official Amorn Chomchoey said.
“We found them exhausted after swallowing a lot of seawater,” he told AFP.
“They were pale, especially the boys.”
The father had rented a jet ski from a local operator on Koh Samui, a popular resort island in the Gulf of Thailand, at around 5pm local time (6pm Singapore time) on Aug 13.
The operator became concerned when the family failed to return at the agreed time, and alerted local rescuers and the provincial authorities, Amorn said.
They were found at around 10am on Aug 14.
Investigators are looking into why the jet ski capsized after operating for just over 15 minutes, Amorn’s secretary, who also works as a translator, told AFP.
The father told officials he was an experienced jet ski driver, the secretary said.
But the jet ski operator told local media that the family appeared to have travelled outside the agreed area specified in the rental contract.
Footage of the rescue shared by the Koh Samui district office showed the jet ski almost completely capsized, with only its triangular front section visible above the water.
One of the boys was sitting on top of the jet ski while his father floated nearby, both of them wearing life jackets.
One rescuer could be heard shouting, “calm down” and “they survived”, and later helped the boy onto another boat and provided the family with water.
The family remained in Thailand and continued their holiday, officials said.
Koh Samui is one of Thailand’s most popular islands for families, thanks to its calm seas and wide range of resorts, attracting millions of visitors each year. AFP
