Parasailing accidents should be reviewed, legislation considered

Twenty people have been injured and six killed in parasailing accidents over the last dozen years in Florida. Throughout that time there have been several attempts at passing legislation to regulate the industry.

Some U.S. government agencies oversee various aspects of parasailing but there’s no overall state or federal regulatory agency.

After an accident in early July, there seems to be resurgence in the effort to pass state law.

Alexis Fairchild and Sidney Good, 17-year-olds from Indiana, are still recovering from injuries they sustained while parasailing at Panama City Beach. The tether to the boat snapped in heavy winds, slamming the girls into the 13th floor of a nearby building. The girls then hit power lines before landing on an SUV.

The accident took place in the district represented by state Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, who is president of the Florida Senate through the 2014 session.

“Clearly we can’t have people dying and be in tragic accidents because we don’t have adequate training and adequate oversight,” Gaetz told a Sun-Sentinel reporter. “So I think something will be done.”

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At Bernardo Injury Law, we are concerned about your safety. If you or a loved one are involved in an accident, contact us at (239) 332-3000 or email us at gethelp@injuryinfo.org.