Florida Accident Attorney Blog

A beach goer remains in critical condition after a parasailing accident occurred in Clearwater Beach, Florida this past holiday weekend.

According to news reports, this Florida boating and parasail accident occurred when the tow line to the speedboat pulling two parasailers snapped -- sending one parasailer into the water while another was dragged along the beach, hitting beach umbrellas and a volleyball net pole. News reports state that the parasail accident victims were from Georgia: Alejandra White, age 27, and her fiancé, Shaun Ladd. White was taken to Bayfront Medical Center in Florida with serious injuries and was reported in critical condition; Ladd's injuries were reportedly less severe.

While news reports describe this Florida parasailing accident as a "freak accident," experienced Florida parasailing accident injury attorneys are well aware of the dangers of this form of recreation. Most consumers are unaware that the U.S. parasailing injury does not have strict safety regulations, for example, related to maintenance of parasail harnesses, parachutes, tow lines and other equipment.

Florida Fish and Wildlife officials along with the Coast Guard continue to investigate the cause of this serious parasailing accident. No further details were available. Clearwater Beach is in Pinellas County in west central Florida, due west of Tampa, Florida.

See our Florida parasail accident lawyer blog entries for more reports on parasailing accidents in Florida and elsewhere in the U.S. and oversees. Our firm has worked with families who have suffered injury and death due to parasailing accidents. We have followed the parasailing industry for years and know what can go horribly wrong when parasail apparatus and equipment malfunctions and/or boat operator error occurs.

Woman critical after Clearwater Beach parasailing accident
MyFoxTampaBay.com Sept. 6, 2010

A British man, age 50, was killed late last month in a parasailing accident at a beach resort in Southern Turkey.

According to The Sun newspaper, the man was parasailing in tandem with his daughter at the Turkish vacation spot of Side when his harness broke. The man fell 150 feet to his death on the beach, below. His daughter, 25, was parasailing next to her father and talking with him when his harness failed. The young woman told news reporters that prior to the accident, she had concerns about the safety of her own parasailing harness, as "one of the clips on mine didn't look like it was clipped up properly."

Though this parasailing death occurred overseas, tragic accidents like it have happened in Florida and elsewhere in the U.S. What most consumers don't know is that despite parasailing accidents and deaths, the parasailing industry is largely unregulated.

An experienced Fort Myers parasailing accident lawyer knows the potential risks involved when Florida vacationers engage in what may seem like a breezy, thrilling adventure. Faulty or poorly maintained harnesses, ropes, and other equipment can lead to parasailing tragedies like the one described here. Parasail rides are offered by operators in a number of Florida beach communities including Clearwater, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami.

The Daily Mail reported that another tourist at the Turkish resort who had parasailed with the same tour company reported similar problems prior to the fatal accident that killed the 50-year-old British man. That parasailer, in his early 20s, stated that his harness had frayed while in flight -- forcing him to hold it together to prevent himself from falling. The British press and safety advocates are calling for tighter parasailing regulations at overseas vacation resorts.

Parasailing Dad Falls to His Death
The Sun July 29, 2010

Tourist 'came close to death' on same parasail tour which killed British tourist Glenn Hudson
Mail Online Aug. 1, 2010

Related Web Resource

How To Avoid a Parasailing Accident

Whether embarked on from a Florida beach, off the dock at a Caribbean resort, or at a Midwest lake recreation area -- parasailing can be a dangerous endeavor.

A recent case in the news illustrates what can happen when something suddenly goes wrong and a parasailing accident occurs.

A Minnesota teen was injured this past weekend as she was attempting to parasail. News reports state that a 17-year-old girl was injured in a lakeside parasailing accident when she struck a pontoon boat that was docked nearby. The accident occurred on Lower Cullen Lake in Crow Wing County, MN. The teen was reportedly brought to an area medical facility with non life-threatening injuries. No further details of this parasailing incident were available.

Parasailing is a popular pastime in Florida beach communities such as Fort Lauderdale and Miami. However parasailing safety in Florida and elsewhere is questionable, given the government does not yet regulate the parasailing industry.

As experienced Fort Lauderdale, Florida parasailing accident lawyers know too well -- this form of beachside recreation that appears to be fun and carefree can be hazardous -- even leading to serious injuries and death.

Many factors are at play when a young person, tourist, or other beachgoer gets strapped into a parasail harness and is lifted aloft and towed out over the water by a motor boat. That person's lifeline is, literally, a rope attached to the boat. If any of the equipment fails (e.g., if the rope goes slack or breaks), if the boat operator makes an error, or if wind or other weather conditions change for the worse -- the potential for catastrophic injury or death from a parasail accident increases.

See our previous blog entry on a Miami Parasailing Accident that left two people injured.

Teen Hurt in Parasailing Accident
Brainerd Dispatch July 26, 2010

Parasailing Accident Injures Girl
WNMT AM 650 Radio July 26, 2010

Related Web Resource

Wikipedia: History of Parasailing

A 19-year-old youth from Naples, Florida, was killed in a waterskiing accident while practicing a stunt maneuver in Estero last week.

The Lee County Sheriff's office recently released details of the fatal Florida boating accident, which occurred last Thursday at water ski lake at Miromar Outlet Mall in Estero. According to a Naples, Florida news source, Danny Michalik, 19, was waterskiing behind a boat driven by personnel from the Southern Extreme Waterski Show Team. The news report states that Michalik was attempting to water ski around a second boat when he crashed into it, suffering fatal injuries. The second boat was towing another water skier from Fort Myers, Florida.

A Fort Myers boat accident lawyer may be consulted by families in cases where negligence or recklessness may have contributed to water recreation injury or death.

The state of Florida has licensing and safety regulations in place related to the operation of boats, waterskiing, and personal watercraft (see link to Florida Boating Regulations page under Web Resources, below). Lee County, Florida injury attorneys may work with families whose loved ones have been hurt or drowned while swimming in public and private swimming pools, waterskiing, boating, operating personal watercraft, or in parasailing accidents.

Lee Sheriff's Office releases details in water skiing accident that killed Naples man
NaplesNews.com June 21, 2010

Related Web Resources

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission : Boating Regulations

Southern Extreme Waterski Show Team

A parasailing accident in Miami, Florida, has sent two people to the hospital with injuries, according to news reports. Local 10 News in Miami reported that two people were hurt parasailing at Port of Miami, when a cord came loose and they were dragged in the water, striking a sea wall. Details of the accident continue to emerge, with other news reports out of Miami stating the parachute may have malfunctioned.

Parasailing involves a person harnessed into a parachute and attached to a boat by a rope or cord; the boat gains speed and pulls them aloft, pulling the parasailer through the air, and over the water. Parasailing is a popular form of recreation in Florida but it is not without its risks, particularly if equipment is not properly maintained and safety measures are not in place.

As experienced Miami, Florida parasailing accident lawyers, injury attorneys Debi and Jason Chalik understand that water sports and recreation such as parasailing can be dangerous and even deadly. We have successfully fought for compensation on behalf of a family in a recent fatal parasailing accident case that killed a young girl and caused head injury to her sister, when the rope on their parasailing boat broke free, hurtling them onto a hotel roof. (See background on this fatal Florida parasailing accident case.)

The names of the victims of this Miami, Florida parasailing accident have not been released, though news reports indicate they may be tourists from Chicago, and possibly a father and daughter. The victims were brought by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel to Jackson Memorial Hospital. The accident is being investigated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Miami, Florida parasailing accident attorney Jason Chalik has followed the evolution of the parasailing industry and is aware of the safety procedures, equipment maintainance, and operational factors that should be in place to keep people who enjoy this form of water and boating recreation safe. Parasailing accidents and boat accidents can occur when proper safety measures are not taken by operators to keep consumers who pay for their services safe.

Father, daughter injured in parasailing accident
Florida AP, Miami Herald, June 8, 2010

2 Injured In Parasailing Accident
JustNews.com June 7, 2010

News-Press.com of Fort Myers reports that a new Florida state boating safety law that went into effect in January is designed to better prepare young people to avoid boating accidents.

The new law states that people born on or after January 1, 1988, must pass an approved Florida boater safety course to operate any boat or personal watercraft vessel powered by a motor of 10 horsepower or greater. It replaces the previous law, which required Florida boating safety education for anyone younger than age 21 operating a boat or water vessel of the same horsepower.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issues boater safety education ID cards to people who pass their safety requirements. An estimated 55,000 boats are registered in Lee County, Florida, and one million boats are registered in the entire state of Florida. As Fort Myers boat and watercraft accident lawyers know too well -- inadequately trained, impaired, and reckless boat operators can cause serious boat accidents on Florida waters, leading to drowning, maiming, disability, and death.

Parasailing accidents represent another area of concern related to boating safety and recreation off Florida's beaches (parasailing involves a person being harnessed in to a parachute, which becomes airborne as it is pulled behind a speed boat on Florida ocean waters or lakes), as do swimming pool accidents that can occur at Florida hotels, resorts, in municipal and privately owned pools. Florida state safety laws, such as the new boating education requirement, are put in place in hopes of raising awareness around safe operation of boats, water skis, and other personal watercraft.

Though Florida's waters and beaches attract tourists and residents who just want to relax and have fun -- all water sports and activities come with risks. Proper safety training, state laws, and industry regulations all help keep people safe as they enjoy the natural resources Florida has to offer.

New Florida law emphasizes safe boating
News-Press.com April 20, 2010

Related Web Resources

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: Boating Safety

National Association of State Boating Law Administrators

Boat U.S. Foundation