A British tourist has died in the Bahamas after colliding with a rock while riding a jet ski just off a popular beach on a private island.
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.
Two teenage girls also lost their lives in Illinois in June 2024 when their jet ski collided with a passing boat on Lake Marie.
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