Elderly visitor died after Jet Ski collision
(CNS): A 69-year-old visitor from the United States died on Sunday afternoon after two personal watercraft collided off Seven Mile Beach. Police said that at around 12:30pm on 9 February they received a report of the collision in the water near Piper Way. The rider of one of the Jet Skis was severely injured and was transported to the Cayman Islands Hospital by emergency services, where she was pronounced dead. The rider of the other jet ski was uninjured, police said.
The matter is currently under investigation.
Category: Local News
We did a jet ski tour with Red Sail. I was so unimpressed with the uninterested guide. He actually sat backwards on his jet ski while driving full speed ahead so not watching at all where he was going. We came off our jet ski. He didnt stop, come back, nothing. Left us to our own devices to get back on. And he barely spoke two words to us in the two hours.
I was present when this accident happened. The whole event was a disaster. It was clear that the woman was off of her jet ski which was not far from shore. It took a long time for anyone from the jet ski company (Red Sail) to notice that something was wrong. When they finally did go and get her, it was a single employee who then had to jump in the water, put her on the floating stretcher himself, and drive back to shore. Once he got her back, the staff was completely useless. It was left to myself and several other tourists to perform CPR and find the defribulator located nearby. About 10-15 minutes later a security personnel arrived with a breathing mask, however we bystanders continued compressions. After 20 minutes an ambulance arrived. They seemed disturbingly lax about the whole situation. They didn’t even take over the performing of CPR, but instead gave directions from the sidelines. I remember the EMS worker that seemed to be in charge say “you need to do that faster.” Eventually they decided they should probably get her to the hospital. They took way too long to put her on the stretcher during which time they stopped compressions. As they were wheeling her out from the beach to the ambulance I heard that same EMS worker say to another worker with very little urgency “you should start those compressions again”. The fact that this had to be stated was ridiculous. I was very shaken afterward. I walked around for something like 10 minutes. When I found myself near the street I realized that the ambulance hadn’t even left for the hospital yet! I’m not trying to blame the jet ski rental company. I’m also it blaming the EMS workers who I’m sure are qualified and passionate about their work. In fact I believe that this woman had died before she even got out of the water. What I am saying is that it seemed like a lot more could have been done for this poor woman, and that many people who should have been prepared certainly were not. I am so sorry for this woman and for her poor family that lost her.
Outrageous! must be investigated by the deceased woman family.
CMS, please can you follow up with Red Sail and EMS, if this is correct, then there is a lot that needs to be be explained. The behaviour of the EMS staff in particular appears to be absolutely shocking.
Guess they have different type of workers…I had a fantastic team when I got injured in December. Sadly the care wasn’t continued same level at the hospital. Wonder if we can read a statement from officials soon or as usual they just wait for ppl to forget about it…RIP
Just wanted to say thank you for trying to help
She was a great person and will be missed dearly
I was present, as well, and as someone trained in BLS, I came to help. I know who you were, and wanted to first just say, thank you. Someone needed to take charge, and as the Red Sail and the Marriott employees stood idly by, a group of us did decent CPR on a woman who was very likely long gone at that point. When I came over, she was on a lounge chair (away from the other paying guests of course, and also away from an access point for EMS). She was not back boarded, so compressions were obviously absorbed somewhat. My wife asked an employee if there was an AED, and he said, “yes, do you want me to go get it?” Meanwhile, employees stood around watching, saying “call an ambulance” into their radios. When EMS arrived, there was absolutely no sense of urgency. They struggled to reach the beach, but I left assuming she was now in capable hands of those trained in life-saving medicine (ACLS etc.). I needed to get my children off the beach before they realized what was happening. I felt totally unsafe the rest of this week here, thinking about what a facade of safety this island provides. It’s what everyone says brings them here; safety. The theater of safety is appalling, as the response to a medical emergency might as well have been that of a third-world country. This was a such a tragedy, and while maybe it could not have had a different outcome based on the medical response, I for one am terrified for someone who might have a better chance of survival.
If this is not fully investigated, there will absolutely be more injuries and fatalities, and they will not be “accidents” at that point, but rather the product of deliberate indifference by officials and administrators of these hotels and water sports companies.
Thank you so much for your comments and your caring actions. This woman was my friend and I’d like to thank you.
Sad but not surprised, the people renting the jet skis out give them to any and everyone with the money to pay for them. Seven mile beach has gone to the dogs; drugs being sold in the restroom, petty thieves looking for car keys and cell phones, chairs littered (illegally but still allowed) along the shoreline, and nobody to enforce any of this.
All brought to us with the support and active participation of our government.
We are on the road to becoming Jamaica. Something everyday confirms this.
Do you think there may be a demographic element to this?
which Jamaica!?….when did any tourist die because of negligence on the part of service-providers, or EMS , from watersports accident, or any other accident at all?… believe it or not, but your precious cayman islands is still 3rd world!
Every day on Seven Mile Beach we go the way of Jamaica. So many things out of control.
Every time there is a special need, y’all go the way of Jamaica! It’s indeed demographic…Visa, medical, rehab, education, skilled industrious honest personnel with good work ethics, to name a few. Small wonder then, that Jamaica “so out of control” has so much influence over the Cayman Islands. TSK TSK.
and you get a life as well
I knew this sweet lady and she was anything but old. She could run circles around anyone. I traveled with her to Israel and she never tired. She was a wonderful God loving person who was in great shape and I will miss her.
I’m surprised that this doesn’t happen every weekend. The number of inexperienced riders on wave runners out there is unbelievable. The number of intoxicated riders is unacceptable. And I find it hard to believe that the guys renting wave runners from public beach are doing so legally, or that they’re equipment has been fully vetted!
Been going on for years. Back in 2007 I was on Jolly Roger and they were buzzing the boat while we had people swimming in the water. Someone took video of it and filed a complaint but the operator of the jet-skis was ‘connected’ so nothing happened. The same thing happened in the Bahamas some years ago and in the end advisories had to be issued to US tourists telling them not to use the watersports companies because they weren’t properly regulated. Seen similar happen in other places – it’ll do major damage to the tourism industry if they don’t get a grip on it.
And the amount of hungover Red Sail employees are unbelievable. You will find them at their watering holes daily. Those foreigners sure like to be high…
Yeah blame it on the expats. Do you know who owns Red Sail? Caymanian owned. Ultimately they should be held responsible.
No it isn’t. Red Sails was sold recently to a Jamaican company
I remember the good old days when the DTF Marine unit actually patrolled the shore line day or night not a soul monitoring it now .My questioning is was this inside the 200yard markers or outside because there is a 5 knots speed limit .Which I have noticed is no longer being observed by watercraft or enforced by the authorities What is happening to us Cayman too focus on the massive things now not looking at basic stuff that made a top destination. Sad
Who rented the jet skis? Do they have training, waivers, or insurance? DCI needs to clean up the “2 dudes and skis” rental businesses that are popping up all along 7 mile beach, or it might be DCI that gets sued by aggrieved relatives. Pure liability.
My question is
What happened to the other person?
Do we know anything yet.
All it said was the other person not injured!!!
How can that be….
It doesn’t matter how old the victim is, these things are tragic and unnecessary!
yes it does.
Why does the age matter? A life is a life.
Oh for heavens sake! Is that a really important note of this terrible tragedy. You are as old or young as you feel. Age is just a number. However, 65yrs and above is seen as an old aged Pensioner. You are not a youngster…..sad as it may be to some people. As long as you have your full faculties and relatively fit and in reasonable health, it’s all we can ask.
Sadly, this person who was obviously quite fit suffered an horrific accident. May you rest in peace and our condolences to your family.
69 is not elderly.
umm, yeah it is
Said the person with a mental age of 10….
My husband was there and he said she was in excellent shape. It was incredibly sad and mishandled
Just 2 years past retirement age, which is 67. A person is expected to actually work till 67.
women today transition out of middle age around 65, a number that has increased from the late 40s in the 1920s. “Old” for women today is about 73, which increased from the late 50s in the 1920s. And “very old” today is about 80, an increase from about 67 in the 1920s.
Cayman government retirement 65 but in our financial sector most retired at 60 or earlier (if the banks want to save money for long term employees. Ask former Butterfield employees who were let go at 55+)
did we need all the stats?
You can be a card carrying senior citizen at 60, sometimes 55. Definitely over the hill and off-warranty.
A person is as old as they do. One of the many lessons I’ve learned from my Mother is that if you stop using it, you risk losing it; she is in her upper 80s, active and gives no indication of slowing down.
This is all a very unfortunate accident, and I don’t think we should rush to blame someone. If the gentleman who died were my Father, I’d say, “he died having fun, making his own decisions, loving life as he always did.”
Do we need more training and oversight before allowing someone to commandeer a jet ski? Possibly. I have certainly observed more than a few near misses over the years.
God Bless, and keep you safe, Sir. Rest in peace.
Quite right on the age thing. I’m 69, still pass my pilot’s physical and drive a high-performance car. Age isn’t as bad as people make out. I know kids in their 20s who are so out of shape (as in fat and addicted to computer games) they get out of breath pulling their pants up.
get a life
9:09 I’m 69 – tell me that to my face and I’ll put you flat on your arse in a heart beat.
I wholeheartedly agree but the way you said it isn’t helping dispel the grumpy old person angle…
CNS
It would suffice, though not necessary, if a person’s age is mentioned as “in his 60s”, 70s etc.
Subjectively labeling people as elderly serves no purpose.
People born before industrial revolution tend to be healthier for they grew up on real food, breathed clean air and drunk clean water. Their circadian rhythm was not disturbed by artificial light. They had no tattoos.
Sadly, young people today have myriads of mental and physical problems stemming from the “smart” life they lead.