British tourist dies in jet ski accident after colliding with rock in the Bahamas
The 73-year-old tourist had stopped off at the private island Half Moon Cay during a Holland America Line cruise around the Caribbean when the incident occurred on 22 March.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force said that shortly after 1pm, police on the neighbouring island of Eleuthera were alerted of the incident by the island manager and proceeded over to Half Moon Cay.
Upon arrival, police found out the woman was riding a jet ski 'when she allegedly lost control and collided with a rock'. The police labelled the incident as an accident.
Medical personnel provided assistance to the tourist but to no avail, and was pronounced deceased by a local doctor.
The police force said an investigation is underway.
Cruise company Holland America confirmed that the tourist was a passenger on its cruise ship Nieuw Amsterdam, which is currently on a 14-day itinerary around the Caribbean after it departed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on 16 March.
The cruise stopped at destinations such as Turks and Caicos, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands before reaching Half Moon Cay, CruiseMapper, a cruise tracking site, shows.
A day after the fatal incident, the Nieuw Amsterdam returned to Fort Lauderdale, typical of such itineraries, before heading back to Half Moon Cay on 24 March.
After visiting Jamaica, the ship is due to anchor down at Grand Cayman Island and Cozumel, Mexico before returning to Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, 30 March.
The Independent has reached out to Holland America Line for comment.
'Holland America Line regrets to confirm that a passenger onboard Nieuw Amsterdam passed away following a tragic incident on a personal watercraft,' the cruise line said in a statement to People.
'The guest, a 73-year-old woman, died on 22 March while the ship was calling at Half Moon Cay, The Bahamas.'
'We are in contact with the guest's family and doing everything we can to support them during this difficult time'.
'The accident is currently being investigated by the Bahamian authorities. Out of respect for the family and guest, we do not have further information to share.'
Deaths caused by jet ski crashes have often made headlines. In August 2024, a mother died after the jet ski she was riding with her partner collided with one being driven by their teenage twin daughters.
The 47-year-old died from a head injury a few hours after the crash in Arcachon Bay, off France's Atlantic coast.
A week later, two more deaths hit the headlines when a father and son were killed after their jet ski rammed into a seawall in the Florida Keys.
The 47-year-old father had been driving the watercraft at full speed in a residential canal when he hit the seawall.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
Noel Gallagher's hefty bill for weekend hotel stay during Oasis gigs
Noel Gallagher's hefty bill for weekend hotel stay during Oasis gigs The guitarist and lead singer of Oasis stayed at the five-star Kildare hotel in Maynooth on Friday afternoon during the band's Croke Park gig in Dublin and the bill was rather high Noel Gallagher performing at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, kicking off the reunion tour (Image: PA) Rock legend, and Oasis lead guitarist, Noel Gallagher reportedly spent a whopping €80,000 on his weekend stay at an Irish hotel as they prepared for their Dublin gigs. The guitarist checked into the five-star Carton House hotel on Friday afternoon and was spotted enjoying a few pints at Brady's Clockhouse pub in the Irish town of Maynooth shortly after his arrival, causing quite a buzz amongst the locals. It has been revealed that Noel's bill for his weekend getaway totalled €80,000, with an insider disclosing that his own suite cost him a hefty €7,000. The remainder of the bill covered the accommodation costs for his daughter, Anaïs's room, as well as his security and management team. In contrast, his brother Liam chose to stay at the luxurious five-star Powerscourt Hotel in Wicklow, arriving at Dublin Airport's VIP lounge on Saturday morning, as reported by the Irish Mirror. Unlike Noel, Liam kept a low profile until he took to the stage at Croke Park on Saturday night. Though Liam too, booked a luxury stay, he's wasn't one to stroll around until the time of the band's performance (Image: PA) This weekend marked Oasis's first return to Ireland since 2009, with fans praising the sell-out tour on social media following the event. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter Over 160,000 fans were treated to a stellar performance by the rockers across Saturday and Sunday night, reports Dublin Live. Article continues below However, if experts are to be believed, the pair of brothers have been doing more than just getting their fans nostalgic. As UK inflation is set to have edged higher last month as summer spending pushed up flight and hotel costs, and food prices continue to climb, one economist believes an "Oasis bump" could have contributed to higher accommodation prices in July. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation is widely anticipated to have risen in July from the 3.6% rate recorded in June, according to data to be published by the Office for National Statistics on Wednesday. Sanjay Raja, a senior economist at Deutsche Bank, estimated that price pressures would have pushed CPI to 3.8% last month. "July inflation will likely see price momentum rise further into uncomfortable territory," he wrote in a research note. The school summer holidays are likely to have led to increases in airfares, rail costs, and package holiday prices. Mr Raja also highlighted a potential spike in hotel prices, which he said could partly be due to the British band Oasis starting their reunion tour in July. The concerts attracted large crowds to arenas in Cardiff, Manchester, London and Edinburgh. Accommodation prices could have risen by as much as 9% in July compared with June, "with the Oasis concerts having a strong impact on Manchester prices alone," the economist said. Fans, pushed forward though. Despite not being able to secure tickets for Oasis' second sold-out gig at Croke Park on Sunday, throngs of fans still managed to be part of the night, gathering outside the stadium for a mass singalong. As Liam and Noel Gallagher took to the stage for their final Dublin performance of their reunion tour, those without tickets created a festival-like atmosphere on the streets surrounding the GAA venue. Footage taken outside showed fans of all ages belting out hits like Half The World Away, their voices reverberating across Dublin's northside. After a weekend of rocking Croke Park, Oasis members found time to unwind at O'Donoghue's pub in Dublin's south city centre on Sunday night. Just hours after their performance, Noel, Oasis guitarist Paul Arthurs, also known as 'Bonehead', Gem Archer and Joey Waronker were seen letting their hair down in the Baggot Street pub. It's believed that Liam decided to skip the after-show party. Joining the band for a well-deserved pint were celebrities including Dominic West, Jasmine Guinness, Laura Whitmore and MCD's Denis Desmond and Emmett J Scanlan. U2 frontman Bono, who attended Sunday night's concert, is also understood to have popped into O'Donoghues, leaving around 1am. Well-known personalities including Vogue Williams and comedian Carl Mullan were seen amongst the audience on the opening evening at Croke Park, whilst Tánaiste Simon Harris secured a place for the Sunday evening performance. The Fine Gael leader even wore an Oasis bucket hat as he praised the group for an "incredible gig" and "magical atmosphere" the previous evening. Riverdance icon Michael Flatley was also present in the Croke Park crowd over the weekend. He took a photograph with Liam and Noel's mother Peggy, showing appreciation to the brothers for a "great night". This represents the first time Peggy has been photographed at their reunion tour since the Mayo-born lady's knee surgery several months ago. Liam dedicated Stand By Me to his mother, telling the audience: "This next one's for me mam, she's had a knee operation in the past couple of months, this one's called Stand By Me." Former England forward Peter Crouch also captured a photograph with Flatley alongside his wife Abbey Clancy, while television personalities Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian also succeeded in obtaining Oasis tickets. Article continues below Other recognisable faces amongst the thousands at Croke Park over the weekend included Eric Roberts, Anna Daly, Glenda Gilson, Charlene Murphy and Pippa O'Connor.
Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Starmer returns to Scotland after family holiday interrupted by Ukraine talks
The Prime Minister's plane flew from the US to Glasgow overnight following the White House discussions, landing on Tuesday morning. It had taken off from the same airport the previous day when Sir Keir was heading to the US for the brief trip. On his return to Scotland, Sir Keir will co-chair a call of the so-called 'coalition of the willing', a group of nations looking to help Ukraine that he has been leading with French President Emmanuel Macron. It is the second summer in a row that the Prime Minister's holiday plans have been disrupted after he cancelled a European trip last August when rioting broke out in the UK and tensions escalated in the Middle East. The Prime Minister also delayed his departure for a trip last Christmas following the death of his brother aged 60 who had been suffering from cancer. A minister has said it is an 'occupational hazard' that prime ministers can see their holidays disrupted. Pensions minister Torsten Bell told Sky News that Sir Keir has been making a 'real difference' in the negotiations over Ukraine. He told the broadcaster: 'It is an occupational hazard for prime ministers that holidays are interrupted. You'll have been covering that for years. 'I've been around British politics enough to have seen that happen, unfortunately, year after year. 'I want the Prime Minister to have a rest […] all we want to do is make sure that we're addressing these big issues, and that in this summer means making sure we get those security guarantees in Ukraine.'
STV News
2 hours ago
- STV News
Swedish church begins 5km journey across city to avoid being swallowed by mine
Engineers have widened a major road and dismantled a viaduct to enable the Kiruna Church to be moved. A historical wooden church in Sweden is being moved five kilometres east before the town is swallowed by an iron ore mine. Thousands of people have travelled to Sweden's northernmost city Kiruna, above the Arctic Circle, to watch the operation, which will take two days and feature performances from Sweden's Eurovision entry KAJ and a visit from the Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf. The wooden Kiruna Church was closed a year ago to prepare for the relocation as the world's largest underground iron ore mine threatened to destroy the town. As the mine expanded deeper underground, residents began seeing cracks in buildings and roads. Officials have been moving buildings to a new city downtown, away from the mine since 2004. Beams placed on an wheeled structure support the Kiruna Church as it is transported to a new city nearby. / Credit: AP But the church – which is about 40 metres wide and weighs 672 tonnes – was a slightly more difficult operation. Engineers have widened a major road and dismantled a viaduct to enable the church to be moved. A driver, using a large control box, will pilot the church along the route at a pace of up to 1.5 kilometres an hour. As is tradition, there will be a pause each day for fika, the Swedish afternoon coffee break. More than 20 buildings have already been lifted onto beams and wheeled east to the new city, but 16, including the church, remain. The Kiruna Church, which was built in 1912, was voted the 'best building of all time' in 2001 by the Swedish people. Gifted by the state-owned mining company, the church was established on a hill so worshippers could overlook the rest of Kiruna. The building was designed to emulate the style of the Sami people, an indigenous group inhabiting parts of Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Russia. About 23,000 people live in Kiruna, many of which are Sami. The neo-Gothic church exterior makes it the most distinctive building in town and has now become a popular tourist attraction. The church is due to reopen in its new location by the end of next year. LKAB, the mining company who has funded the move, has not provided the cost. Thousands have travelled to Kiruna to watch the church be moved. / Credit: AP British tourists Anita and Don Haymes travelled to Kiruna for the third time to see the church relocated. 'It's an amazing feat that they are doing,' Anita Haymes said. 'It'll be interesting to see it moving, unbelievable.' But not everyone is supportive of the move. Lars-Marcus Kuhmunen, who is the chairman of one of the Sami reindeer herding organisations in Kiruna, said LKAB's plans for a new mine could threaten reindeer migration routes and the livelihood of herders in the area. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
