16 Hours Adrift: Father and Children Survive Jet Ski Sinking

A family vacation in Thailand turned into a harrowing survival ordeal: a 50-year-old French father and his two sons, aged five and seven, set out on Thursday around 17:00 for a 45-minute ride on a jet ski rented on the tourist island of Koh Samui. When the vehicle failed to return on time, rescue teams were alerted, but it was not until the following day, around 10:00, that the father and children were found drifting at sea — more than 16 hours after they had set out.

A short excursion at one of Thailand's popular tourist sites ended with a terrifying night in the middle of the ocean for the father and his two young children. The father reported to authorities that strong waves struck the jet ski, causing the engine to fail.

When the vehicle did not return as scheduled, rescue forces were deployed. Speedboats and jet skis scanned the waters around Koh Samui and toward the nearby island of Koh Phangan, but the search had to be suspended overnight.

Operations resumed the next morning, leading to the moment the family and rescue teams had been praying for. Around 10:00 on Friday, the father and his two children were located still in the open sea. Local government official Amoran Chumchuai described their condition to the AFP news agency, noting they were "pale" and "exhausted after swallowing a lot of seawater."

"One of the children was seen sitting on the front of the jet ski, while most of the vessel was submerged beneath the waves. The father was nearby, floating in the water and waving to the rescuers," officials reported.

Both the father and children were wearing life jackets. Following their rescue, they were taken to a hospital for medical evaluation and were discharged shortly thereafter.