The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

A FLORIDA jet ski operator has defended The Bahamas’ watercraft industry after the latest US Embassy warning, arguing that the alert exaggerates the danger of rentals and risks damaging the livelihoods of Bahamians who depend on tourism.

John Rosen, owner of Jet Ski Fort Lauderdale, spoke at Cabbage Beach near Atlantis yesterday after the embassy warned Americans about “serious and ongoing” dangers linked to jet ski rentals in The Bahamas.

In a video message on Monday, US Ambassador Herschel Walker said Americans had died, visitors had been hospitalised and US citizens had been sexually assaulted by jet ski operators who took victims to isolated islands.

The embassy said six US citizens have been hospitalised in jet ski accidents since August 2024, with three requiring emergency medical evacuation. It also said two US women reported sexual assaults by jet ski operators in 2025 and that two more sexual assaults have already been reported this year.

The warning criticised what it described as sporadic oversight of rental areas and said rogue operators continue to solicit tourists on Nassau’s busiest beaches.

Operators at Cabbage Beach said the industry needs tighter regulation and better enforcement, not broad condemnation. They argued that a small number of rogue operators should not damage long-established businesses that follow the rules.

Mr Rosen, who said he travelled to The Bahamas because he was concerned about how the industry was being portrayed, said jet ski rentals remain one of the country’s major tourist attractions.

“I just wanted to help the public really understand the statistics and what jet ski rentals bring to the industry here in The Bahamas, and anywhere around the world in general, you know, the dangers but also all the great things that come with it,” he said.

He said about 12 million people visit The Bahamas each year and estimated that roughly 250,000 rent jet skis.

“Jet skis are a huge thing for tourists to do on vacation in The Bahamas, and roughly 12 million people come here every year to enjoy their time with their families,” he said. “Out of those people, roughly a quarter of a million are estimated to rent jet skis. So, over the last three years, there's been a couple of incidents. Apparently, there have been six accidents that caused hospitalisations, one fatality, which was actually caused by a non-licensed boat operator.”

Mr Rosen compared the number of jet ski incidents to bicycle accidents in South Florida.

“When you're going to compare that to injuries and accidents, maybe with other activities, such as where I live, you have bikes that are constantly in the news for accidents and casualties,” he said. “Just in 2024 alone, where I live, there were almost 10,000 bicycle accidents that led to hospitalisations and over 200 deaths. You know, so if they want to tell people to stop renting jet skis in The Bahamas, they better start telling people to stop riding bikes in South Florida.”

He urged visitors to use reputable, insured and licensed companies.

He said he is prepared to share safety practices used in Fort Lauderdale. He also pointed to reforms and criminal charges after reports of sexual assault in The Bahamas.

“I wanted to come here and really understand one of the other issues was that there were some claims of sexual abuse over the last few years, and since then the government had made at least one arrest and charge, and there was a new law enacted that the operators cannot ride with the renters on the same jet ski, just to prevent these things from happening again,” he said. “So clearly they're taking action to make sure these things don't happen, and anywhere you go around the world, there's always a risk of some bad thing happening, but we don't want to take away what's so great and respected about the Bahamas, it's jet skis, it's what people want to do. Do not discourage people from renting and riding jet skis; it's something that we all need to enjoy with our families.”

Mr Rosen said the industry should be fixed rather than shut down and questioned whether the US warning could hurt Bahamian operators.

“I don't think they understand the implications of their message and how it's going to affect the people that come here, because they really are scaring people, when in reality they don't have a reason to be scared,” he said. “You just have to look at the statistics, and the numbers speak for themselves, honestly.”

The latest warning comes amid renewed scrutiny of the government’s jet ski task force, established in March 2024 to improve regulation and enforcement in the sector. Authorities have conducted confiscations, issued fines and revoked licences, but industry officials have acknowledged that enforcement has been uneven and that more work is needed to strengthen safety and compliance.

Devane Ferguson, a Cabbage Beach operator who said he has worked in the industry for 20 years, said established operators need support.

Mr Ferguson said serious incidents involve a small fraction of operators and argued that newer operators, not long-standing ones, have damaged the industry.

He acknowledged that the US warnings have slowed business, but said tourists continue to support Bahamian operators.