With a tourist death occurring almost monthly in the unregulated water sports industry, the Bahamas Government is once again pretending to care by announcing they will review the rules and the regulations regarding water sports.
The beach where an American cruise ship passenger recently died in a jet ski accident was closed to recreational watercraft vendors that day because of inclement weather, said Minister for the Environment Earl Deveaux.
Deveaux, whose incompetence is responsible for the frequent power outages in Nassau, is also the minister in charge of water sports.
“The death that occurred between the narrows on Paradise Island, well on that particular day the feature was closed and a public announcement had gone out to all the operators,” Deveaux said.
Deveaux added that the Port Department has consequently revoked the operator’s license. He said police are still investigating the matter.
In another recent incident, a woman was killed after she and her husband plummeted from a parasail harness in Grand Bahama while on their honeymoon in the Bahamas. There have been several other jet ski accidents involving tourists this year as well.
To stem the international bad press, the Bahamas government is pretending to care, and feigning moves to take a closer look at the safety measures taken by water sports operators.
Port Controller, Commander Patrick McNeil, said operators’ equipment is inspected every year when they renew their licenses. He added that it is up to the operators to ensure that their equipment is in working order and is safe during the year.
McNeil said that an investigation being conducted to ensure that the woman’s death in Grand Bahama was an “accident”.
Due to the close relationship many watersports operators have with corrupt government officials, it is expected that the incident will be ruled an accident to eliminate any possibility of the woman’s family suing the Bahamas government or the water sports operator.
That would be bad press for the Bahamas and the government lies, cheats and steals to avoid that.
Minister Deveaux said the Port Authority Review Board has been instructed to review the rules and the regulations regarding water sports. At least until the bad press goes away.
