Accidents prompt call for regulation
By Marcel Honoré, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
But parasailing remains largely unregulated in the U.S., and the thrills don't come without risks, particularly if companies aren't taking the proper safety precautions.
"It's real safe if you're trained, but if you're not trained it's really dangerous,"
The
"Passengers seeking to enjoy the thrill, adventure and panoramic views of parasailing risk becoming accident victims," the NTSB report issued in
The agency found that "human error" by operators is the main cause of parasailing accidents due to "poor judgment, lack of sufficient experience, improper training" and other factors such as worn or poorly maintained gear, ignorance about overloading tow lines and other equipment, and failure to monitor wind speeds and changing weather.
The NTSB said there are currently no regulations for operator training, no requirements for equipment inspection and no requirements to suspend operations in bad weather.
Neumann, who said he introduced parasailing to
"I'm wholeheartedly for regulations. They're really needed for a minority of operators" who don't properly maintain their equipment, said
Stricter safety laws would also likely lower parasailing companies' insurance costs and make more companies willing to insure them, Berg added.
But some operators also caution against imposing certain kinds of regulations.
Neumann said he believes that any weather restrictions enacted by the
"It would limit it so badly that you might not want to be in the parasail business. It's very expensive to operate. To do this business safely ... it's just like operating an airline." His firm constantly monitors the weather, Neumann added.
In
"It's not a thorough examination, from what I've seen," Neumann said. "It's fairly easy to fill out this questionnaire that makes you a legitimate bidder."
The NTSB report cited parasailing accidents since 2009 in which seven people died and four were injured. Some victims drowned as they were dragged through the water; others crashed into buildings or power lines; and one died when a worn-out harness separated from the flight bar.
Two of the report's fatal accidents took place in
In 2012, 68-year-old
Earlier, in 2009, 24-year-old
The boat's captain later had his merchant mariner's license suspended for a year because of the incident.
State court documents shed light on other
In
X-treme Parasail did not return requests for comment for this story.
At the time, Neumann said the weather conditions weren't dangerous but that an unusually fast squall had swept in, prompting the accident.
"I hope the regulations come through, because it won't change the way we operate" and will make others safer, Berg said. "It's a very safe sport if you just do things the right way and utilize common sense."
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