Jetski collision lands one rider in hospital

| 31/08/2018 | 33 Comments

Cayman News Service(CNS): As concerns mount in the community over reckless and speeding jetski riders in local waters, two collided in the George Town area around noon Friday. The police confirmed the collision involving two jetskis and said one of the riders was taken to the Cayman Islands Hospital to be treated for minor injuries. The incident was said to have happened close to the Balboa Beach on the harbour front.

The smash follows recent calls from dive operators for tougher enforcement and after an example of reckless behaviour was caught on tape. The police commissioner has also said that the this issue would be a focus for the new Cayman Islands Coast Guard.

Dive operators are particularity concerned about badly behaved jetski riders who do not pay attention to snorkellers and divers. One operators told Cayman 27 this week that she watched one of her dive customers narrowly escape being hit by a jetski.

Complaints have been filed to the police by watersports operators asking for them to enforce the rules and RCIPS Superintendent Brad Ebanks, who is in charge of special operations, said that anyone found to be in breach of the relevant laws will be dealt with accordingly.

“We intend to meet with the CITA, Port Authority and the watersports operators to review the requirements and best practices for water safety and safety briefings, in order to ensure that these are conducted in a consistent and effective manner, and that any necessary changes to these requirements can be determined and implemented,” he said.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Category: Local News

Comments (33)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Anonymous says:

    So let’s talk about the MLA’s for Northside stupid plan to provide a water sports zone through the most popular snorkelling area on the North Sound. Rum Point Marine Park is a death waiting to happen as is the crazy idea to allow waverunners and morons in speed boats speeding from Starfish Point through to the Environmental Zone, which btw is meant to be 5mph or less! Take a look at the Water Sports Zone signs at Kaibo and Starfish Point. They make no sense and just encourage dangerous behaviour too close to shore and swimmers.

  2. Anonymous says:

    its such a shame that forefingers come here to make a profit by doing watersports for tourist, and degrade the locals for being in their way and creating problems. they always want whats best for them and the profit but we locals cant even enjoy our own waters anymore.

    10
    6
  3. FH says:

    where they need to focus attention is RP Sundays , out there is ram with Boats, Jetski, Waverunners everything imaginable oh lets not forget all the pot smoking around the area too.

    not even on a Sunday you can go and relax, you have to smell weed off every other boat or people from the land coming with it. loud music over exaggerated and the prostitutes pretty much stripping when a bit drunk.

    10
    8
  4. Anonymous says:

    Can we also address dive boats cutting off my fishing lines while I’m trolling the edge at north West Point? Thanks.

    20
    7
  5. Anonymous says:

    Keep this up and we’ll go the same way as the Bahamas went a while back with recommendations that US citizens do not use any local jet ski operators. And when the first fatality occurs just watch the cruise lines shift into CYA mode and blame it all on CIG.

    This has been going on to my knowledge for over a decade now and it is literally not just an accident waiting to happen but it’s going to be a very expensive one.

    18
    • Salty says:

      Who owns the jet Skis?
      Who polices the jet skis?
      Are they insured for third party injury?
      Have you seen the idiot at Kaibo who spends his time at full throttle within 50 feet of the shore?
      No rules no regulation no insurance no enforcement and absolutely no brains …just about sums up the Caymanian Water sports industry…bunch of rank amateurs fed by greed and stupidity

      12
      1
  6. Anonymous says:

    nothing will be done by ppm as usual…because it would mean doing something….
    public beach has turned from a national treasure to a national disgrace due to the ppm….

    29
    2
  7. Anonymous says:

    same old, same old, the CIG has allowed Public Beach to turn into the Wild Wild West, chairs crammed onto the “public beach”, illegal vendors – foot massage anyone? and garbage everywhere, after living in Cayman for 25 years I have to realize that it is the land of Laws, enforcement is non-existent

    55
    1
    • Chris Johnson says:

      Sooner of later an accident was going to happen near Balboa Beach. As the owner of the adjoining property I campaigned strongly to have them removed from what is known as Red Spot Beach. The wave runners were being boarded on that beach close to the fishermen and a danger to all that wanted to swim there. The operation had no lease and certainly no TCB licence to operate from that property. Finally after many months they relocated to next door which is owned by the Thompsons operating from the purple shack and dangerous car park where another accident is just waiting to happen.

      I am not sure which authority is in charge but we do not need wave runners e downtown. Those particular beaches should be reserved for swimming for residents and visitors alike. For the keen observer you will note that the fence erected on Balboa Beach several months ago, precluded access, was after much protest removed.

      31
      1
    • Anonymous says:

      Public beach is a huge missed opportunity by the government. Take some of the lifeguards from the Turtle Center (who do nothing most of the day) and have them patrol the beach and enforce the bylaws. Then build a concession have a private company run it and make some money selling food/drink to tourists (especially with Calico’s closing). Take that revenue and re-invest in the beach.

      Toss the fly-by-night vendors who are capitalizing on government land at our expense and clean it up and do it right!

      17
  8. Anonymous says:

    One down, about 500 to go.

    15
    2
  9. Anonymous says:

    9:55. Let me guess, they’re name wasn’t Ebanks was it?

    8
    2
  10. Anonymous says:

    Its not just jet skis , while I admit there appears to be a safety issue, as illustrated lately. Several weeks ago while moored on North Wall with scuba divers in the water & divers-down flag displayed ( as per law) , a 35 foot sailboat/sloop passed very close to our bow mooring . Divers were ascending back to the boat at this time. They probably passed within 2 boat lengths of our bow. I even got the ‘ stink-eye ‘ from the captain , when they passed as I made a gesture to the dive flag , Idiots.

    32
  11. Anonymous says:

    Theyre only worried about conchs

    9
    3
  12. Anonymous says:

    Ahhhh, the quality of a loud bass drum at the beach, the whiff of greasy food on seven-mile,and roar of boat and ski-jet engines vibrating my bones. You cant get that in any other place in the world, especially when Cayman charges twice the price. So why do they keep coming? It more of a “I’ve been there” than “that was a great experience”.

    18
  13. Anonymous says:

    But yet most of the water related deaths where caused by either scuba diving or snorkeling, was it like ten people who lost their lives so far this year?, ah boy just another way for the masses to use the media to redirect the spot light off of them, and BTW,FYI this jet ski accident didn’t happen from public beach vendors (who are legal to operate).
    I say to all caymanians who operate whether legal or illegal, keep making your money and don’t fall victim to their traps, because at the end of the day they want to push us into a corner so as soon as their is no choice but to resort to drastic measures, they want to lock us away and throw away the key, don’t give them that satisfaction, just remember every so-called legitimate water sports company operates from crown property, even the dive operators, but nothing is said about that, just make sure that safety comes first, because the future plans they have in store for caymanians is either prison or the cemetery, and I say again, don’t give them that satisfaction.

    12
    36
    • Anonymous says:

      Deaths arising while snorkeling or scuba diving will likely be related to a health issue, not caused by someone (operators) acting inappropriately. Too often such incidents are reported in the media as a ‘diving’ or ‘snorkeling’ accident, and not more accurately reported as serious injury or death resulting from an overexerted victim’s health condition. I am an experienced diver but am careful to know my limits as “the old gray beard ain’t what he use to be……”

      17
    • Anonymous says:

      Wave runners have the potential to injure/kill others who have no involvement in that activity. Scuba diving/snorkelling only impact the party involved. This is a pretty key difference.

  14. Anonymous says:

    Affordable third party insurance should be mandatory for anyone owning and operating a watercraft in the Cayman Islands. Cabinet needs to direct the insurance industry to offer such a product if they want to operate in our territory. Watercraft can be just as deadly as cars.

    26
    4
  15. Anonymous says:

    Just a question of time for accidents as many individuals rent their own jetskis outside of the larger operators racing up to public beach at full speed, governors beach, no regard for people in the water in swin areas, no insurance, no vendor license or regard for safety.

    48
    3
  16. Anonymous says:

    I’m sorry Brad but you’ve not enforced the Nth Sound Marine laws up til now, why should we believe the future will be any different?
    The RCIPS and the new CG still won’t have the man power and resources to man an effective inshore and off shore patrol 24/7. 40 personnel will not cover all shifts when courses, admin, sickness, comp time, annual leave and typical Cayman malaise is considered.
    Why weren’t Harbour Patrol and DOE Marine Park Enforcement taken under the new CG and given the power to enforce Marine laws within inshore waters?
    They are already policing their respective regulations, (or should be) so why not expand their responsibility further and release Border Protection officers to get on with their specialist duty?

    40
    1
  17. Anonymous says:

    Bobo don’t need license to drive a boat/jet ski….. its in his ancestral blood

    17
    16
  18. Anonymous says:

    What a joke. Not so long ago a jet ski was allowed to run directly across the Sandbar by an idiot guide who failed in his duty of care towards both his guests and his fellow operators. He stupidly allowed his machine to streak across the Sandbar at an extreme speed because he was showing off and didn’t have his kill cord attached and riding a faulty Craft. Apparently this is the same company that had a fatality at Rum Point and failed to show its duty of care to the victim and other guests a couple of weeks ago. Luckily for this company and the guide, this incident happened late in the day and the Sandbar was quiet, but never the less a boat was seriously damaged by the impact of a 50mph jet ski. If that had been early in the day many injuries or deaths were inevitable.
    Get control of these idiots before some one is killed. The RCIPS and the DOE are failing in their duty and I can guarantee the Coast Guard will be equally as hopeless.

    63
    2
  19. Anonymous says:

    How can they find and deal with anyone who is traveling on a jet ski at break neck speeds when they are know where to be found after the incident? It’s not like veichles that have tostop on the road. It waits until a report is made. By then the perpetrator has returned to shore, handed over the water craft to the “leaser” and gone back to sipping drinks by the bar or pool. Now the reckless jet ski tour operators who take these people out in droves need to be held accountable.

    34
  20. Anonymous says:

    Come on Supt Ebanks time to reign your mates in, or are you too close to all the operators and illegal vendors at public beach.
    I say no more!!!!!!!!!!

    43
    5

Leave a Reply to Anonymous Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.