Shocking footage of reckless jet skiers endangering surfers
A video of jet skiers jumping waves and losing control of their watercraft in Tofino, British Columbia, has locals worried. Residents in Tofino say they’re shocked by a video of two men using jet skis to jump waves at crowded North Chesterman Beach, according to CBC.
The video was recorded by Shannon Brown on 12 June, a surf instructor and a coach for the national surf team. “It’s unsafe and they were way too close to people,” says Brown. “If you have a jet ski landing on top of you from 10, 15 feet, you’re sending someone to the hospital, if not worse.”
Brown says it’s not uncommon for people to use jet skis in the waters around Tofino but never that close to other people. “On a jet ski things happen so fast. You are flying around on those things and it’s just one moment, one lapse in concentration and somebody will pay for it,” he says.
This is not an isolated incident. The problems associated with personal watercraft use are widespread. In the UK recently, HM Coastguard warned people of the dangers of jet skis, personal watercraft and motorised recreational craft after a spate of incidents and called for jet skiers to respect other water users.
Footage from CBC News:
This looks to me like another typical example of users of personal watercraft getting a bad rap. They were staying at the far end of the beach and at no point in the video does it look like they were close to a surfer. "Shocking Footage…." is a headline I expect from a national tabloid, not Marine Industry News. The personal watercraft market is part of OUR marine industry, we expect better from your news content, not sensationalism headlines.