A French family, including a father and his two young sons, ages five and seven, were rescued Friday after their rented jet ski capsized off the coast of Koh Samui, Thailand. The family was left stranded at sea for more than 16 hours overnight before being found by rescuers.
The father had rented the jet ski for a 45-minute ride around 5:00 p.m. local time on Thursday. The rental was scheduled to conclude, but the jet ski was not returned at the agreed-upon time, prompting authorities to launch a search. Rescuers utilized speedboats and other jet skis to comb the waters surrounding Koh Samui and towards the nearby island of Koh Phangan.
Search efforts were suspended overnight and resumed the following morning. The father and sons were found drifting at sea around 10:00 a.m. on Friday. Local government official Amorn Chomchoey told AFP that the children appeared "pale" and "exhausted after swallowing a lot of seawater."
According to the Bangkok Post, the father told authorities that rough waves had caused the jet ski's engine to stop towards the end of the rental period. Footage of the rescue showed one of the boys on the front of the submerged jet ski while his father floated nearby, both wearing life jackets. The boys' mother and older sister had been waiting on the beach during the ordeal.
All three family members were taken to a local hospital for medical checks and were subsequently discharged. The family has reportedly remained in Thailand and continued their holiday. They were initially taken to Koh Samui, one of Thailand's most popular tourist islands.