KOH SAMUI, Thailand – A French father and his two young children have been found alive after they failed to return a rented jet ski off Koh Samui on the evening of August 13. The three were rescued on the morning of August 14 after spending a night adrift in rough seas.

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According to reports from local Facebook news page Nai Sanam and official sources, the three French nationals—identified as a 50-year-old father and his two sons, aged nine and 12—had hired a green-and-white Sea-Doo jet ski from Chawang Beach in Surat Thani province at approximately 5:20 PM on August 13. All three were reportedly wearing life jackets when they set off for what was meant to be a 30-minute rental .

When the craft failed to return at the agreed time, the rental operator raised the alarm. Bor Phud Police Station was alerted, prompting a coordinated search involving police, jet-ski rental operators, rescue workers, and local volunteers. The search area was extended towards waters near Koh Pha Ngan.

The operation was halted late on August 13 due to darkness and unsafe sea conditions, with strong winds and waves reportedly reaching between three and four metres. Search teams resumed their efforts early on August 14 and located the family around 11:00 AM, approximately 13 kilometres east of Koh Mat Lang.

【サムイ島で仏人親子3人を救助】

サムイ島でフランス人の父親（50）と息子2人（11歳、9歳）がジェットスキーを借りて海に出たまま行方不明に。

一晩中捜索が続き、翌日午前、沖合約2kmで発見。… pic.twitter.com/2UXbRcHBrm

— タイニュースPK(พี่เค) 🇯🇵🇹🇭 (@Thainews_PK) August 14, 2026

The three were found exhausted but alive. The youngest boy was reportedly sitting on the jet ski, while his father was holding onto its side and the older son was floating nearby. They were brought ashore and taken to Bangkok Hospital Samui for medical checks. Their mother and older sister, who had been waiting anxiously on the beach, were present when the family was safely returned.

Koh Samui district chief Amorn Chumchuay, who led the search operation, said the precise cause of the incident remains under investigation. Authorities are considering the possibility of an engine problem that left the jet ski to drift further from shore with the waves and current . Officials plan to question the tourists further to determine what happened. In response to the incident, Amorn has ordered the Koh Samui Marine Office to tighten oversight of jet-ski businesses, including checks on operating licences and safety measures. He has also urged operators to avoid renting jet skis close to nightfall and to ensure customers remain in areas visible from shore. Discussions are underway regarding the installation of tracking devices on rental jet skis to enable rapid location in emergencies.

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The case attracted considerable attention among Koh Samui residents online, with many sharing information to assist the search. For foreign visitors and residents hiring small watercraft, the episode underscores the importance of checking weather conditions and ensuring operators have their intended route and expected return time, wearing life jackets, and avoiding outings when rough-sea warnings are in place.