Dubai: A 24-year-old Arab woman was injured in a jet ski accident in Al Mamzar in April, marking the first incident of its kind in Dubai, according to the Dubai Ports Police Station.
The woman was chased by a group of male jet-skiers which caused her to increase speed and lose control of her jet ski, and she sustained a minor injury when her face hit the steering wheel, Lieutenant Colonel Abdullah Al Mazyoud, Director of Ports Police, said.
"We advise women not to go jet-skiing on their own as this may result in men harassing them and causing them to become confused and lose control," he said.
Need for monitoring
He also urged families to monitor their children on the beach and ensure youngsters do not take part in watersports unsupervised.
A 19-year-old Emirati man was also injured while jet-skiing in April. He lost control and fell off his jet ski and another skier hit him and injured his leg, Lt Col Al Mazyoud said.
The station had impounded 18 jet skis until the end of April this year for repeated violations including failure to register or renew registration of the jet ski, skiing outside designated areas, overloading, underage driving, and driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics.
The legal age for jet-skiing is 16. "On the first offence, the skier is usually given a warning and a fine, unless the jet ski is not registered, in which case it is confiscated for two weeks," Lt Col Al Mazyoud said.
Other offences include failure to wear a life jacket and renting jet skis to people below the legal age, which are punishable by a fine.
"Hotels have complained about people jet-skiing close to their beaches and disturbing beach-goers, especially as skiers look for calm seas, which are usually frequented by swimmers," he said.
Last year, one man died and another sustained serious injuries in jet ski accidents. The number of confiscated jet skis peaked last year at 98, compared with 39 in 2010 and just 17 in 2009.
