French family rescued after 16 hours off Koh Samui

A French father and his two young sons were rescued off Thailand's Koh Samui island after spending more than 16 hours at sea when their rented jet ski capsized, local officials said.

Local government official Amorn Chomchoey said the 50-year-old father and his sons, aged five and seven, were found at around 10:00 am on Friday after leaving Koh Samui at about 5:00 pm on Thursday. They were taken to hospital for checks and discharged shortly afterwards.

Amorn said the family were exhausted and had swallowed seawater. Footage shared by the Koh Samui district office showed the jet ski almost completely capsized, with one of the boys sitting on top of it and his father floating nearby. Both were wearing life jackets.

The jet ski operator alerted rescuers and provincial authorities after the family failed to return at the agreed time, Amorn said. Investigators are looking into why the jet ski capsized after operating for just over 15 minutes, according to Amorn's secretary, who also works as a translator.

The father told officials he was an experienced jet ski driver, the secretary said. The jet ski operator told local media that the family appeared to have travelled outside the area agreed in the rental contract.

Officials said the family remained in Thailand and continued their holiday.