Parasailing on Vacation: Risky Business
Sure, anyone that has had a favorable parasailing trip can tell you that the experience is a combination of exhilaration, peace and quiet. Being high up, sometimes up to 300 feet, in the air for about 15 minutes can offer unobstructed views of whatever beach you are visiting, thus making a near perfect vacation. Ride operators promise the perfect experience and more. But did you know that there are little to no regulations when operating a parasailing ride. In case of an accident your vacation can go from a dream into a nightmare.
Over the past 30 years there have been at least 70 reported deaths and approximately 1,600 reported injuries out of an estimated 150 million parasail rides, the Parasail Safety Council told KNOE.com. PSC has tracked injuries and deaths nationwide between 1982 and 2012. Compared to amusement park rides the calculated risk is a casualty rate of one per 90,000 parasail rides versus one in 9 million rides at an amusement park. This is off of 2010 data obtained from the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions by KNOE.com.
There are few federal or state regulations designed for parasailing, despite the amount of risks involved in getting strapped in for a ride.
Florida has about 120 parasailing operators, perhaps the largest concentration in the nation. Various efforts to enact laws aimed to reduce the amount of fatalities following fatal accidents in the state have resulted in nothing. Safety proponents believe that because Florida’s parasailing industry is largely dependent on tourist dollars that the state is a key player in making safety changes.
Shannon Kraus is frustrated by the lack of regulation in the business. She is a mother of two girls that crashed into Pompano Beach hotel roof in 2007 and suffered major injuries when their parasail line snapped during a storm.
Paramedics rushed both girls to the hospital, but the younger Amber May White, a 15-year-old died of her injuries. Her sister, Crystal, who was 16-years-old at the time spent a long time recovering from her injuries. Their mother spent a long time lobbing for regulations and a change of the industries safety standards. “Nobody has listened to me from day No. 1,” Kraus said. “I’ve just been shoved aside. I’ve kind of been ignored and I’m pretty angry about that.”
Crystal White, who is now a mother of two said most people who sign up to parasail have little idea it’s less regulated than the average carnival ride. “They just need to know that if they go up, and something bad happens, there’s nothing they can do about it, because there are no laws, or rules, or regulations,” she said.
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