Father and 2 Young Sons on Capsized Jet Ski Rescued After 16 Hours Stranded Off Thai Island
Officials said the family was found exhausted but alive after search teams resumed operations and returned them to shore for hospital checks.
- On Friday, August 14, 2026, a French father and his two sons were rescued off Koh Samui, Thailand, after spending more than 16 hours adrift when their rented jet ski capsized.
- The family rented the jet ski at Chaweng Beach at 5pm on Thursday, but staff signaled for them to return after the 30-minute rental period expired and the vessel failed to return.
- Rescuers found the trio at 10am on Friday wearing life jackets, with the 12-year-old and nine-year-old sons and their father all aboard or clinging to the capsized jet ski after it overturned just over 15 minutes into their trip.
- Local government official Amorn Chomchoey reported the family was treated for exhaustion and seawater ingestion before being discharged, reuniting with their mother and sister who had waited on the beach.
- Investigators are examining why the jet ski capsized, while Amorn instructed the Koh Samui Marine Office to tighten oversight of rental operators, including potential tracking devices on jet skis to enable quick emergency response.
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The father and his two sons spent the whole night at sea.
Three rescued off Thai island after mishap on jet ski
A French family spent more than 16 hours floating at sea after their jet ski capsized off Thailand’s Koh Samui before being rescued, a local official told reporters yesterday.The 50-year-old father and his two sons, aged five and seven, were taken to hospital for checks after their overnight ordeal,
French father and two children rescued after 16 hours adrift off Thai island
A French family was rescued after drifting for more than 16 hours off the coast of the Thai island of Koh Samui, where their jet ski had capsized, a local official told AFP on Saturday.
The 50-year-old father and his two sons, aged five and seven, were taken to hospital for examination after their nightly ordeal on Koh Samui.
The 50-year-old Frenchman and his two minor children spent the entire night at sea, until they were found exhausted by rescuers.
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