Rescue teams were today searching for an American tourist went missing while on a jet ski ride in Thailand.

Nina Ng, 37, a nurse from New York, rented a jet ski to carve up water at the Patong Beach on the island of Phuket this afternoon, February 27.

However, she reportedly disappeared while her jet ski, belongings, and life vest were found around half a mile from the shore.

Jet ski rental operator Saranuwat Nasok said he set out to search for the American after she failed to return past her alloted rental time.

He said: 'I found the jet ski parked under a kilometre from the beach. Her belongings and life jacket were on it. I called my friends for help, and we searched for around an hour but we still couldn't find her.

'I asked a boat driver working in the area, and he said he saw the tourist take off her life jacket to jump into the water.'

Fearing the holidaymaker had drowned, Saranuwat said he reported her disappearance to the police. Divers and rescue volunteers have been deployed to the beach to conduct a search.

Officers said they had today contacted the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. They were also mobilizing boats and helicopters to continued the search.

Nina works for the American non-profit Help Me Live USA, an organisation providing medical and humanitarian services to people in Gaza, Jordan, and Lebanon.

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 signages.

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.