French father and sons rescued following disappearance on jet ski
A French father and his sons were rescued following their disappearance on a jet ski in Thailand.
Brahim Terki, 50, was riding the rental watercraft with his sons Maheiddine and Ilyes, aged 12 and 9, as his wife and daughter stayed on Chaweng Beach on the island of Koh Samui.
They were carving through water when strong currents swept them out to sea at around 5:30 pm local time on August 13.
The operator began signalling the trio to return after their 30-minute rental period passed. He then scanned the nearby waters with binoculars, but the tourists could not be found.
Two jet skis were dispatched to search the area but were also unable to locate them.
The operator alerted police and local authorities, and a wider search was launched with additional speedboats and jet skis.
But poor weather and swollen waves reportedly reaching up to 12 feet hampered the operation, which was suspended at 1 am on August 14 before resuming at first on Friday morning.
Two speedboats and 10 jet skis scoured the seas before finally locating the missing family some seven miles east of Koh Mat Lang island at 11 am.
Footage shows the dramatic moment rescuers spotted the holidaymakers calling for help as they drifted in the open water.
Brahim and Maheiddine were clinging onto the capsized jet ski while Ilyes sat on its bow. They were brought aboard a vessel and returned to shore, where the mother and daughter were anxiously waiting for them.
Officials said the rescued tourists were unharmed but exhausted. They were taken to Bangkok Hospital Samui for medical checks.
Brahim said large waves had hit the jet ski, causing its engine to fail. He added that they spent the night at sea as they were unable to call for help.
The relieved father thanked everyone involved in the search for helping them return safely.
The dramatic rescue comes just days after German tourist Jannik Jurgen Knobel, 30, was swept out to sea and found dead at Freedom Beach in Phuket on August 11.
Jannik and his girlfriend Michelle Anduk, 28, were struck by a rogue wave while swimming a day earlier.
Beach drownings are a recurring safety concern in Thailand, especially in tourist hotspots like Phuket, Pattaya, and Krabi. The deaths often attributed to strong rip currents, lack of swimming skills, and disregard for warning signage.
The waters are most dangerous during the country's rainy monsoon season, when red flags are placed in beaches to warn of dangerous sea conditions.
