La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
I have an extreme dislike of jet skis. At minimum, the roar of the engines is awful and invasive when you’re expecting to enjoy the sounds of the sea. But people can be so reckless. We even have lifeguards monitoring their behavior with a drone on the beach. But they can only do so much.
When we left for the medical center Wednesday afternoon, I noticed two jet skis being motored around wildly. When we returned from the medical center about 40 minutes later, there were two ambulances on the paseo. As we passed, we saw an area tented off on the beach, which is never a good sign. A 32-year-old French tourist was driving a jet ski with a friend as a passenger. The driver hit a wave hard, hit his head on the handlebars, and was thrown from the jet ski with serious head injuries. He went into cardiac arrest and rescuers spent 40 minutes on the beach trying to save him. He tested positive for alcohol and cocaine. The passenger was unharmed.
This is the second jet ski fatality in in Málaga in three weeks. A local woman, also 32, was a passenger on a 3-seater jet ski. Her hat blew off and when she unthinkingly went to grab it she fell into the water hitting her head as she went.
I know many people absolutely love the machines, but there are so many much safer (and quieter) ways to enjoy the sea. Are there jet ski enthusiasts reading?
Tengo una aversión extrema a las motos de agua. Como mínimo, el rugido de los motores es terrible e invasivo cuando esperas disfrutar de los sonidos del mar. Pero la gente puede ser tan imprudente. Incluso tenemos socorristas monitoreando su comportamiento con un dron en la playa. Pero solo pueden hacer mucho.
Cuando salimos para el centro médico el miércoles por la tarde, noté que dos motos de agua estaban siendo conducidas salvajemente. Cuando regresamos del centro médico unos 40 minutos después, había dos ambulancias en el paseo. Cuando pasamos, vimos un área de tiendas de campaña en la playa, lo que nunca es una buena señal. Un turista francés de 32 años conducía una moto de agua con un amigo como pasajero. El conductor chocó con fuerza contra una ola, se golpeó la cabeza con el manillar y salió despedido de la moto de agua con graves heridas en la cabeza. Sufrió un paro cardíaco y los rescatistas pasaron 40 minutos en la playa tratando de salvarlo. Dio positivo por alcohol y cocaína. El pasajero resultó ileso.
Esta es la segunda víctima mortal de una moto de agua en Málaga en tres semanas. Una mujer local, también de 32 años, viajaba como pasajera en una moto acuática de 3 plazas. Su sombrero voló y cuando sin pensarlo fue a agarrarlo, cayó al agua golpeándose la cabeza al pasar.
Sé que a muchas personas les encantan las máquinas, pero hay muchas formas mucho más seguras (y silenciosas) de disfrutar del mar. ¿Hay amantes de las motos de agua leyendo?
What a tragic incident. In my neck of the woods, it’s ATVs. I know they are good when used as intended (we have one for legitimate purposes), but too often they are used incorrectly and by those who shouldn’t be using them. I’ll spare you my rant.
Kelly:
Yes, ATVs. That was what we saw in the desert around Palm Springs. Dangerous and destructive. They have their place.
OMG! I just knew your story was going to result in something serious. We live a few kms from the beach and the ambulances constantly on hot sunny summer days deal with many beach, surfing and jetski issues. We just drove by yesterday to witness the parking lot all lit up with fire engines and ambulance lights. A body lay prostrate on the ground. It always seems so unnecessary for the ignorance of more than few nowadays to disrupt the joy of others. A couple years ago while walking Sophie along the beach early morning I witnessed an ambulance retrieving a dead body from the lake opposite. This seemed so solemn in comparison.
Ron:
An awful thing to experience and witness.
Oh, my gosh. How horrible.
Judy C:
And so avoidable.
I’m with you on jet skis.
Jim:
I hate them.
How very unfortunate, we have a similar problem here, speed, alcohol and drugs combined. Sometimes the victims are really young. People will say but they were just having fun.
Laurent:
Yes, lots of “fun.”
I have never been on one. I prefer a slow putter along the water, or a long walk on the beach.
David:
I’m with you.
I never understand the continual need some people have for the “next big thrill”, whether it’s speeding on the road, on the sea or in the air. Then again, I don’t take coke. Jx
Jon:
That kind of speed is not for me. But I did have a Coca Cola Zero Zero yesterday.
What Jon said. Ugh. // Glad you are on the mend and enjoying your visitors!
Chrissoup:
I’m not a thrill seeker. I understand many people are, but that doesn’t mean they need to put others’ lives at risk.
I am not a fan of jet skis either. Even the noise bothers me.
mcpersonalspace54:
They cracked down on the jet ski lanes. The drivers often came in way too close and put bathers at risk. The noise on the terrace some days would drive me crazy. Since the City started to rein them in, it hasn’t been too bad. I wouldn’t mind them being banned.
Something about the sound of them makes me think that it also messes with the wildlife as well.
mcpersonalspace54:
I’m sure they do.
I have never understood the allure of jet skis, snowmobiles, or ATVs. So many people over the decades have been killed or suffered life-altering injuries due to reckless use of them.
Debra:
I agree. They can be very useful in emergencies and in remote areas, but as entertainment they make me nuts.
I have been on a jet ski twice as a passenger. It was alright, but I wasn’t fond of it. And anything that musses up my hair, and I’m done honey. Now, mind you, I would ride in a motorcycle side car.
Just call me Nora Batty.
Mistress Borghese:
SG always wanted a motorcycle with sidecar… with me in the sidecar. I told him I’d seen how he takes those turns. No thanks! However, no hair to muss.
Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that being thrown off a jet ski or from a boat into the water at even moderate speeds is like hitting concrete! That’s why it’s so important to wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD)/Lifejacket so that if you’re knocked out, you’ll float face up and not drown. I always enjoyed driving snowmobiles, ATVs and boats, but I received the proper training and certification as part of my job as a biologist. Most Canadian provinces require safety training/licensing for driving such vehicles, but you can’t fix stupid!
Tundra Bunny:
That’s exactly it. Training. And don’t drive stoned. These people were both wearing lifejackets, which simply kept their bodies afloat. Heartbreaking.
Jet skis. Leaf blowers. And those annoying prop planes that fly up and down the beach pulling banners with advertisements. The list goes on.
Walt the Fourth:
We’re in the same camp.
no thank you very much.
Urspo:
They’ve been back out in force again. I can’t stand it.