Get your news delivered straight to you by 7am - sign up to our new Morning Mail newsletter for FREESee more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy JOSHUA HAINING, NEWS REPORTER Published: 14:35 BST, 15 August 2026 | Updated: 18:28 BST, 15 August 2026
A French family has been rescued from the sea after floating for 16 hours on a capsized jet ski off the coast of Thailand.Brahim Terki, 50, and his sons, Maheiddine, 12, and Ilyes, 9, were rescued five miles off Thailand's Chaweng Beach in Koh Samui, on Friday.Video footage of the family's rescue shows the tip of a jetski bobbing up and down in the water, with one son clinging to the front of the vehicle.The father, who was holding on to the side of the jetski, can be seen waving his arm as the rescue boat approached.One rescuer from the Wat Plai Leam Rescue Foundation can be heard shouting from the boat, 'calm down' and 'they survived'. Footage shared by the Koh Samui district office also captured one son alone in the water with a life jacket before he was saved by the coastguard.Following the rescue operation, the family were taken to Bangkok Hospital Samui but were discharged shortly after, local official, Amorn Chomchoey said.'We found them exhausted after swallowing a lot of seawater,' he said. 'They were pale, especially the boys.' A French family were stranded at sea five miles off the coast of Thailand for 16 hours before they were rescued Brahim Terki, 50, and his sons, Maheiddine, 12, and Ilyes, 9, waved at the boat as it approached Mr Terki's son drinks water after he was rescued by Wat Plai Leam Rescue Foundation and officialsThe French father had rented the jetski on Koh Samui, at about 5.00pm on Thursday.But the operator became concerned after the family failed to return at the agreed time and decided to alert the local authorities.An initial search at around 6.00pm failed to locate the family but later that evening, a larger search operation began.Rescue boats and jet skis searched the water off the coast of Koh Samui before the operation was suspended at 1.00am due to the rough conditionsIt was a staggering 16 hours later that they were finally rescued at around 10.00am on Friday once the search had resumed.Investigators are now looking into why the jetski capsized after less than 20 minutes.Mr Terki told local authorities that rough waves hit the jetski which caused the engine to cut out, leaving them stranded. The father told officials that he was an experienced jet ski driver, despite being stranded at sea, Mr Chomchoey's secretary said. Local authorities pictured preparing a stretcher for one of the children as he is carried off the rescue boat An exhausted Mr Terki is helped to shore after he was rescued alongside his two sons on Friday One son receives medical treatment before he is taken to Bangkok Hospital Samui for treatmentHowever, the jet ski operator told local media that the family appeared to have travelled outside the agreed area specified in the rental contract.The family remained in Thailand and continued their holiday after they left the hospital, officials said.Koh Samui is one of Thailand's most popular islands for families, thanks to its calm seas and wide range of resorts, attracting millions of visitors each year.Considered to be one of Koh Samui's most popular tourist spots, Chaweng Beach features a 7 kilometre stretch of fine white sand and a variety of restaurants and bars.
