A French father and his two young sons were rescued off the coast of Koh Samui, Thailand, on Friday after spending more than 16 hours adrift at sea when their rented jet ski capsized.
The 50-year-old man had rented the jet ski for a short ride late Thursday afternoon with his sons, aged 5 and 7. Rough waves struck the vessel, causing the engine to fail, and the craft overturned within minutes, the father told authorities. The family was located approximately seven nautical miles east of Koh Mat Lang around 10:00 local time on Friday, pale and exhausted after swallowing large amounts of seawater. One of the boys had clung to the nose of the jet ski for safety. All three were taken to hospital for medical checks and discharged shortly afterwards.
An investigation is underway into the cause of the capsize. The rental operator suggested the family may have ventured outside the permitted zone. Calls have emerged to equip tourist-rented jet skis with GPS trackers to prevent future incidents. The family remained in Thailand to continue their holiday.