Thailand: French family rescued after drifting for over 16 hours off country's coast
Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
News
From a news agency
Outcome reported
- A French father and his two young sons were rescued after their jet ski capsized and they drifted for over 16 hours off the coast of Koh Samui, Thailand.
- The family was found exhausted and having swallowed seawater, but were released from the hospital after examination.
- Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident, with initial indications suggesting the family may have ventured outside their rental zone.
A French family's holiday in Thailand took a perilous turn when a jet ski outing ended with a father and his two young sons adrift for more than 16 hours off the popular tourist island of Koh Samui.
We found them exhausted, they had swallowed a lot of seawater.
The 50-year-old father and his sons, aged five and seven, were found exhausted on Friday morning after their rented jet ski overturned. Local government official Amorn Chomchoey reported that the family had swallowed a significant amount of seawater and appeared pale, particularly the children. They were taken to the hospital for checks but were discharged shortly after.
The incident began Thursday evening when the father rented the jet ski around 5 p.m. The rental company became concerned when the family did not return as scheduled and alerted rescue services and authorities. The trio was eventually located around 10 a.m. Friday, having spent the night at sea.
They were pale, especially the boys.
Investigators are working to determine the exact cause of the jet ski capsizing, which occurred just over 15 minutes into the ride. While the father reportedly presented himself as an experienced rider, the jet ski rental operator suggested to local media that the family might have strayed beyond the area permitted by their rental contract. Rescue footage showed the jet ski nearly submerged, with one of the boys perched on its still-visible portion and the father floating nearby, both wearing life jackets.
calm down
Despite the harrowing ordeal, the family has reportedly chosen to remain in Thailand to continue their vacation.
they survived
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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