Latest news with #JetSkis
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Chicago firefighter begins battle back after being paralyzed during San Francisco triathlon
*Editor's note: A link supporting Chicago firefighter Jose Perez in his recovery can be found at the bottom of this article. (WGN) — Paralyzed ten days ago in the middle of a San Francisco triathlon, injured Chicago firefighter Jose Perez is beginning the battle back after multiple surgeries. Perez was on the West Coast for the June 1 Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon when he launched himself off a boat, and a freak collision left him face down in the waters near the Golden Gate Bridge. 'I just felt a big boom,' Perez said. '[I] just hit the back of my head.' Perez described the moment over Zoom from his San Francisco hospital bed. Another triathlon swimmer landed on top of him, leaving him paralyzed. 'I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything and I was telling myself, 'come on man! Start swimming!'' Perez said. 'But I couldn't do anything.' More from Julian: Emotional plea from Michael Madigan's wife seeks leniency before his sentencing The 35-year-old firefighter said the swim portion of the Triathlon felt chaotic and disorganized, with transport boats delivering numerous triathletes to a jump-off point. Swimmers jumped off the transport boats in droves. Perez said he was fully aware of what was happening, even after the collision. 'I actually remember everything very vividly. I never lost consciousness,' Perez said. 'There was another swimmer that just happened to be in the water, saw what happened, [and] came on by. He turned my head over, turned me on my back and just started yelling for help.' San Francisco Fire Department marine units on Jet Skis took Perez to shore before rushing him to Zuckerberg General Hospital, where specialists in spinal cord injuries performed emergency surgery. Several days later, Perez went under the knife again, this time for spinal decompression surgery. The end result helped Perez regain movement to portions of his arms, hands and feet, but doctors warn it's a long road to recovery. Perez said he faces at least a year of treatment and rehab with uncertain long-term results expected from his efforts. His family and friends have started a GoFundMe page to help with growing medical expenses. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Insider
15-05-2025
- Business Insider
We rented a 90-foot yacht with a captain to explore Miami by water for the day. It was a highlight of our trip.
In Miami, my friends and I rented a yacht with a captain and crew for four hours through Boatsetter. We went around Biscayne Bay, the Keys, and Star Island, and got to ride Jet Skis. Overall, we had a really great time, and I'd definitely rent a yacht again. When visiting Miami with a group of friends, we decided to rent a boat and spend our day cruising around Biscayne Bay. To find one, I used the boat-rental app Boatsetter, which is often referred to as the "Airbnb for boats." It connects boat owners with renters in over 700 locations around the world, from Miami to the Amalfi Coast. Here's what the experience was like. Our group chose a 90-foot yacht. The Boatsetter platform has everything from pontoons to sleek yachts available to rent, but our group of eight decided to go all out with a 90-foot Sunseeker yacht for four hours. We also added catering, a captain, and a small crew. The crew we hired included a captain, first mate, and steward. Booking was easy — we made the reservation directly through the website a few days in advance and paid in full. Our rental was $2,656, or $332 a person, after service fees and sales tax. The yacht felt really nice and spacious. We especially liked the onboard hot tub and Jet Skis. Its deck felt spacious and comfortably fit our whole group. I especially liked the hot tub on the deck, which was one of the reasons we wanted to rent this particular boat. Catering was arranged during our booking. Catering was an optional add-on, but we chose to get salads and snacks from Carrot Express, a popular café in Miami that I love. Our boat's owner also left a bottle of sparkling wine on board for us, which was a nice touch. The views were lovely throughout our ride. For this trip, we went with our captain's suggested route around Biscayne Bay, the Keys, and Star Island. As we cruised around the Bay, it was fun to see all the towering skyscrapers and different neighborhoods by boat. Along the way, we even spotted the Skyviews Miami Observation Wheel. I especially enjoyed taking out the boat's Jet Skis. We ended the day near Star Island, where we tried to spot celebrity homes. Our ride was especially beautiful as the sun set. Overall, this was one of the highlights of my Miami trip. The only downside of the experience is that we got back a bit later than expected and missed our post-boating dinner reservation. We didn't blame our captain, though. Several bridges along the route must be raised for boats to pass under, which can require coordination between captains and the county. This can sometimes lead to delays. Next time, I just wouldn't make any time-sensitive plans after a boat day. Despite that small hiccup, I had a really great experience renting a boat. Four hours felt like the ideal amount of time to spend on the water and and the booking process was seamless. I'd use Boatsetter again next time I'm in Miami, especially for a special occasion like a birthday. The experience can be a bit costly, but it's fun, and the views on the Bay are beautiful.
