THE RECENT death of 16-year-old Hannah Sutton has raised serious questions over the safety of jet-skis on the island.
Hannah sustained serious head injuries when her jet-ski collided with that driven by her boyfriend, James Dudley, also 16, collided with the one she was riding.
But Stavros Neophytou, owner of Anemos Water Sports on Lordos Beach in Larnaca, told the Cyprus Mail that accidents like that were very rare and impossible if people using the jet-skis abided by the rules.
“I have been in this business for about 18 years and I can tell you that fatalities on jet-skis are extremely rare. For example, where I work, there has never been a fatality or an injury.”
Following the rules and practicing safety regulations is an absolute must, Neophytou explained, adding that misconduct is almost always the reason behind accidents.
“There are set rules and instructions when using jet-skis which have to be followed strictly. If a person on a jet-ski stays within 200m after the buoys and 50m away from a boat or jet-ski then absolutely nothing will happen to you. If you can talk to each other while on jet-skis then you are too close. Usually accidents occur when friends try to show off to each other and they close in on one another.
“We never allow any misconduct to occur here at my work. As soon as we see anyone misbehaving we immediately pull them in and send them away. In fact we have lost money from sending people away as soon as they misbehave. In this profession, safety is everything.”
Having to play police is a duty for jet-ski owners and judgment plays a vital role in insuring that safety regulations are followed, said Neophytou.
“Only very recently we had some British soldiers from the bases come here wanting to use the jet-skis. First of all, I didn’t like the way they were behaving and secondly I smelt alcohol on them. They wanted to use the jet-skis and I wouldn’t let them, an argument followed and then they eventually left.
“We found out later that day that they had gone to another place where they could rent jet-skis and had an accident. Luckily it wasn’t serious but one of the jet-skis got damaged.”
Neophytou is well aware of the impact the recent girl’s death has had on water sport owners on the island adding that some people not affiliated to the Water Sports Union were harming the leisure sport on the island.
“I am chairman of the Water Sports Union here in Cyprus and as far as I am aware everyone in the union plays by the rules and exercises every caution. We have meetings all the time on trying to find ways to enhance safety and promote the sport on the island.
“Now if some people, not belonging to the union, are not abiding by the rules then it is obviously a problem which must be dealt with. People should know that when an accident like the recent fatal one occurs, we are the first people to be hit.”
But jet-skis are not all about fun and games and play an important part in saving lives.
“Apart from water sports, jet-skis have other very important uses. We are constantly in communication and working with all the lifeguards and if somebody, for example, is in distress in the water or has been taken by the current, then using the jet-skis we can rush to them and help. In fact, jet-skis are used for that very purpose in many countries.”
Malcolm Creswell, 29 from County Durham in England, is on holiday with his girlfriend; he agreed that jet-skis were safe, provided you don’t behave stupidly.
“It is not the first time that I have rented a jet-ski because I have used them many times before on holiday in Spain and the south of France. They are safe and really good fun but you have to be careful not to get to close to anyone or anything. It is a great feeling to ride a jet-ski and that is real fun.”
People wanting to use jet-skis have to be over 18, while jet-ski owners can exercise their discretion in deciding who to allow onto a jet-ski.
Jet-skis can go up to 50km or 60km an hour.
