A Saudi tourist swam for more than five hours to reach the shore and seek assistance after their jet ski capsized in Pattaya Bay, Thailand, ultimately rescuing his wife, as reported by local authorities on Thursday.
Abdulrahman Mahdi M Al-Amri and his wife, Atheer Saeed A. Al-Amri, were reported missing at 6:30 PM local time, which led to an immediate search and rescue operation initiated by Pattaya City officials.
The couple was riding a jet ski when the incident occurred, prompting a call to authorities from the jet ski operator.
“We received a call at 6:30 PM from a jet ski operator indicating that one of their jet skis and the clients were unaccounted for. Consequently, we commenced a search operation,” stated Nattanon Chamnankul, head of Pattaya City Sea Rescue.
Despite the team’s diligent efforts, which involved navigating through dark waters, strong winds, and light rain, the rescue operation yielded no results for over five hours.
As the search vessel returned to Jomtien Beach, authorities spotted Abdulrahman swimming towards the shore, visibly fatigued yet resolute.
“The husband had swum for five hours to reach the shore and was anxious about his wife. He used the lights on the beach as a navigational aid,” Chamnankul remarked. “He was in a state of extreme exhaustion when he was rescued.”
The rescue boat then took Abdulrahman aboard and resumed the search for Atheer. Six hours after the operation commenced, the couple was finally reunited.
“We located his wife at 2 AM,” Chamnankul reported. “Initially, the sea was dark, but we heard a faint voice, and it was her.”
According to Pattaya Tourist Police officer Nipon, the couple’s jet ski had capsized in open water, and seawater had damaged its engine. After the jet ski ran out of fuel, Abdulrahman decided to swim to shore to obtain help for his wife.
Although Atheer sustained a minor injury to her left leg, both she and her husband were reported to be in good health. The couple later returned to Saudi Arabia after settling a damage fee of 50,000 Thai baht (approximately $1,400) with the jet ski operator.
