In any high angle rope access industry, regulations are extremely stringent on the ropes, harnesses and usage of the equipment. How can this industry be any less stringent when the purpose of the equipment is exactly the same. Harnesses do not "just break", they have a 300 pound person limit and can withstand a 1500 pound shock! If the harness failed it was in very poor condition or improperly used! The company has proven a lack of due diligence for client safety just by the facts already given.

Tom Marvolo:

Do you really think that she weighed any more than the average man who would dare go parasailing? Your comment is boorish and uncalled for, but then again it probably reflects your upbringing. Please stay under your bridge like a good troll.

then why ask the question? You been out in the sun too long?

K. Truant... what facts? Two deaths in 5 years are hardly a large percentage of mishaps. That is why they have you release them of any injury, including death, before you go up. Any high risk activity has a better-than-average chance to result in injury or death. People should just not rush to sign their lives away when engaging in this sort of activity. It was her choice to do the dangerous recreation. She knew the risks and accepted them. Though her death is tragic, it's not anyone's fault except her own.

This is in reply to John-1779666:

Soooooo....then based on what you're saying, because you sign an informed consent before surgery (which also states that you understand the risks include death - and if I recall, you are also saying you aren't going to blame the doctor for those risks) then if the doctor screws up, leaves an instrument inside you or just does something wrong that results in your death or permanent disability, well, tough....not the doctor's fault - it's your fault for having the surgery. After all, you knew the risks! You are obviously not thinking. This is the 2nd fatality in 5 years at this location....not necessarily in Florida. If this industry is not regulated there, then there are probably many more deaths. Wonder how many are not reported as parasailing accidents/deaths? And really? This is HER fault that the harness broke? Think I'll throw up that that logic.

It's called load testing and preventative maintenance. We did this even for equipment that was rarely used in the Coast Guard.

"Dr". John,

Apparently it has not yet dawned upon you that making sarcastic remarks or jokes about the tragic death of a total stranger, is evidence that the commenter has not a shred of dignity, which would require, among other items apparently missing from his mental tool chest.., an in-depth understanding of the meaning of respect for oneself and the corresponding ability to extend it to others. Hence, the denigrating label "troll".

Tom Marvolo. Riddle-culously funny name.

Marlie - are you comparing a NEEDED SURGERY to a CHOICE OF FUN?

I'm not saying the company that ran this operation didnt possibly commit a failure of some kind, and hopefully an investigation will bear that out.

BUT - if it turns out that nothing, not even the most stringent of regulations, could have prevented - then what? SH!T HAPPENS sometimes...and well, it happened to this one person at this one moment.

There's a saying my mother says often that i've adopted "thats another way I wont die"

heck, I struggle to TRULY enjoy a roller coaster until it's all over, because im CERTAIN this is the time the ride will fail when im on it, and you know what...it might just be? But getting on that roller coaster, I automatically assume some risk potential.

I have two choices, skip the ride and know I wont die...or roll the dice and get on.

a surgery (unless it's cosmetic) is a necessary risk you have to take, like driving a car...and we all know how many fatalities exist there...but I dont see anyone looking to regulate cars even more despite all the massive amounts of death. like i said, sh!t just happens sometimes.

Your cynicism is spectacular Tom. Your comments are logical enough, it's the total lack of human compassion which is fascinating.

It begs the question ,how do you reconcile your calloused treatment of obese humans with your place in the crusade for "tolerance" for any number of groups and equal rights for the lgbt community and so forth.

Is it that they are inherently worth less in your view because of their physical structure? or is it the mentality that leads to such manifestation as to be visually unappealing to you?

Or is it because of your own arrogance, believing yourself to be imbued with such a high intrinsic value, that your eminence relegates all others compared to you, to worthlessness?

Remember, the phrase "young and stupid" has been around for eons for a reason. Once you mature past the shallow and self-centered stage you're in, this will dawn upon you.

I find it really disgusting that an article regarding a tragic accident which resulted in the death of a young woman would bring out the absolute worst in some people. Instead of engaging in a discussion of the industry as a whole, why there may or may not be regulation or inspections of equipment by independent operators and the tragic loss.....people are treating this story like a locker room joke forum about weight. It's not funny, it's not respectful. It's a total lack of compassion let alone any level of intelligence. I certainly hope no one who knew her or loved her reads this story and looks at the comments. Some of them are very hurtful. I guess those making the comments can't even imagine how they would feel if it had happened to their wife, sister, or daughter....what a shame.

Instead of engaging in the discussion of industry as a whole, why there may or may not be regulation or inspections of equipment by independent operators and the tragic loss.....people are treating this story like locker room joke forum about weight. It's not funny, it's not respectful

Honestly, what is there to discuss? Parasailing is an activity that comes with inherent risks, and frankly any fat person should know that trying to suspend themselves in the air for an extended period of time is a horrible idea.

As far as regulation; I'm not from Florida but I GUARANTEE that it already exists for this industry as well as many others. If it's found that the company ignored the rules currently in place, then they should be punished in civil court and possibly criminally. If not, then this was just a freak accident that occurred. However, one thing that is not needed is additional bureaucracy from the government. We don't need new regulations, we just need to enforce the ones we already have (which we often do not do).

Tom, How much did she weigh? How much does her husband weigh? If you don't have specifics how about you STFU.

Tom, How much did she weigh? How much does her husband weigh? If you don't have specifics how about you STFU.

I'm guessing she weighs a good deuce, deuce and a half maybe. Her husband appears much lighter than her in the picture, hence the reason he is still alive. I'd guess 170 tops.

I'm going to raise the BULL$H!T flag on the height. I ran a parasailing operation for three years. We used 300' tow ropes and on occasion used 600' tow ropes. Based on my knowledge of the dynamics of the parasail canopy and the effect that weight has on the "lift" available, they had to have a hell of a long rope and going at very high speeds to attain the necessary lift. However, if the speed is too high the front edge of the canopy starts to collapse and the passengers could end up falling.

I can accept that there may have been 150-200' of line played out but that does not equate to the height of falling. Seems as though this mayor has his head almost as far up his nether end as the parasailers were in the air.

Tom Marvolo

What is there to discuss? Certainly Parasailing is an activity that comes with some risks, but to label this woman as fat (which most have obviously assumed from her photo because her weight was not mentioned in this article), she most likely weighed the same as her husband or less.

as far as regulation, I'm not from Florida but I GUARANTEE that it already exists for this industry

Well.....IT DOESN'T! Coast Guard regulations are specific to the towing vehicle only, there are, as the Broward County Sheriff's office stated "little to no regulations" for the equipment, lines, operators, training of the operators, and all it requires for an operator to start a parasailing business is to get a business license and provide an approved coast guard boater license for the boat (aka - towing vehicle) which must meet coast guard standards. No one regulated the safety harness, the weight restrictions, the lines, the protocol, or the training of operators, or guidelines for weather conditions of operation.

From the photo in the article, this woman certainly does not look any larger than an average build man, yet repeatedly cruel references to weight have been made. Making comments regarding fat people being suspended in air or making any reference to her weight is cruel. And as for your comment that additional bureaucracy from the government.....we don't need new regulations. Yes....sometimes in society we do. And certainly the State of Florida has tried for years to get those regulations in effect after the accident in Clearwater, Florida but it has been defeated because the water sport industry has a strong hold on the State's legislature. If just half of the politicians we have elected to office to do the job we pay them to do would grow a pair, so to speak....we'd all be better off. I am certainly not for government regulations in every aspect of my life....but some things need regulating, even when they carry an inherent risk.

Well if the Good Lord wanted us to fly, He would have given us wings.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that the 1st fatality was that of an obese/overweight individual. It's kind of like when you hear about someone dying on a Disneyland ride; immediately you know it was a porker.

This is the second parasailing fatality of Pompano Beach since 2007. That year, tourist Amber White was killed in a similar accident when her line snapped in strong winds, throwing her body onto a roof of a hotel. The investigation later revealed that the boat operator ignored a thunderstorm warning,

I can hardly believe the insensitive remarks about weight and obesity on this vine! For one thing, the article clearly says that the previous parasailing accident was due to high winds, NOT due to the person's weight. I worked at a Six Flags when I was in college, and there was an incident while I was there; and that incident also had nothing to do with the person's weight-it was caused by the person climbing out of the ride while it was in motion against all instructions and cautions that had been given to him. (Fortunately, in the Six Flags incident, the guy was not seriously injured.) The article does not say anything about the woman's weight or that her weight caused the fall.

I don't get why some people have this thing about people who appear to be overweight to them, why they feel the need to post such anger and hatred and to blame everything on the person's weight. While I get that being overweight can lead to certain health problems, it is not to blame for every problem under the sun. And, no, I'm not overweight-in fact, I've been treated for anorexia.

My heart goes out to this family, especially to the husband who had to watch his wife fall to her death. May he find peace and comfort in all of this. I've been parasailing, but I had no idea it wasn't regulated. I hope they wise up and at least pass some minimum safety regulations after this.

Seriously, some of the comments on here make me disgusted with the human race. The sooner this planet is destroyed by some cataclysmic event or humanity is destroyed by war, disease or famine, the better.

if not mistaken, a good harness is meant to absorb about a 5,000 lb shock. for this harness to snap has nothing period to do with what that person weighs if that harness was getting worn from use after use, getting wet, and sea water/water... care of this type of equipment is and always should be top priority before each use andd yes, inspected by a qualified person who understands a new harness is cheaper than some ones life.

the buisness in this case is 100% hands down at fault. people saying this is a weight issue, need to look up what a safety harness is, as well care, and recomendation upon what to look for in that harness, of any kind that would make it a defective item, no longer to be used, and destroyed, if the manufacture does not wish to have repaired. most just cut the rings out, toss the rest.

unless her husband cut her harness, this company is 100% liable.

The weight AND mass of an object determines how fast it falls to the earth. I'm surprised no one has brought up this point yet to the heartless commentors. Take two objects of the same weight, but different mass and the object with he greater mass will (larger surface area) will fall to the earth at a slower acceleration than the object at a lesser mass. In other words, she would have hit the water at a lower speed (though I suspect the difference would be negligible) than someone of the same weight, but of a muscular build.

@Tom Marvolo

Making such mean spirited comments with no basic knowledge of physics makes you look both heartless and not too educated.

Tom--seriously. If you think that this woman is 250 pounds, then don't take a job guessing people's weight at a county fair. Unless this woman was in excess of 6 feet tall, then at the weight she appears to be (about a size 16-18), she's maybe 170-180 pounds. Possibly pregnant. And, her husband appears to be right in her weight category.

In any case, it was the harness that snapped--and if you think that a harness is going to snap simply because a normal-weight individual (men are often in excess of 200 pounds when they are tall--and the harness was only holding her up). The average adult woman today is about a size 14-16. So, your use of the term "porker" really just kind of suggests that you are about 16 years old and that the little girls around you are still a size 4 (and you think that adult women should be the size of teenaged girls).

Again, these are average-sized ADULT human beings. This is only the second fatality since 2007. People parasail every day. If this size of person should not parasail, dear, we'd all know it by now, because this woman was average for her age group in the US today.

Look, Google the phrase "Brittney Lunsford loses 82 pounds" and get a gander at what a person who is 250 pounds looks like. Then, look at Brittney at "only" 167. This young lady looked slightly heavier than Brittney at "only" 167. I would guess around 180. Again, this is normal for a woman of her age (pushing 30)--it is not normal for women to look like teenagers.

When men have to spend their whole lives looking like teenaged boys with 32-inch waists--then we can talk. But, men are allowed to put on weight as they age--and not be called "porkers." So, women should not either. Simply because people today think that dramatically underweight is "healthy" does not mean that it is. Thin women die first. Athletic men and women die next. Then the morbidly obese. Then those of normal weight. Only at the very end do women of this size--pleasingly plump--die.

Well, unless some nitwit doesn't inspect the harness properly or feeds out too much line and creates too much torque and the poor young woman dies from a fall. By the by--the first young lady was thrown due to high wind and landed on a hotel roof with her sister. She was 15 years old. I seriously doubt that she was terribly heavy, given that the wind hurled her quite so far. It was a high wind, not weight, that caused the earlier accident. Remember the old saying about "assuming" things.

The problem lies with the lack of regulation or regulation enforcement in Florida. The DBPR (Department of Business and Professional Regulation), is grossly underfunded. Governor Rick Scott keeps cutting their budget. I had an incident in which a "licensed professional" was able to keep his license and continue ripping people off because the DBPR did not have the resources to properly prosecute. We've had to take the matter to civil court because the State is completely useless.

the guy was making a joke. It was not funny.

It wasn't a joke. Uncle henry is depriving a village somewher of it's idiot.

Waivers can't absolve someone of negligence. If there was faulty equipment, or she was improperly instructed to put on the harness, they can still (and should) sue.

The problem with these sort of sports is that people do them occasionally on a whim. I doubt (at least it wasn't clear in the article) that she was an experienced parasailer. People go on vacation, get a coupon for discounted adventure stuff, and then do something dangerous without really understanding the dangers. In those cases there is extra responsibility on the company providing the service to take care of the novices.

well, that's our inquisitive nature. That may be what the parasailing people will look for.

No, it's the need for the cops to pin it on someone.

The husband will forever be a suspect

Huh? What exactly would he be suspected of doing? Secretly cutting her harness while nobody was looking? Tough to accomplish, don't you think? How could you plan such a thing with any hope of carrying it out successfully?

Nobody answer that. Don't give howie any ideas.

Howie has a point.

Thats what the insurance companys will say.

I reread the article,and it says they were "both" being towed.

He may have, not knowing, that if he crossed over her, he may have

taken her air "lift", causing the front of her chute to collapse.

The pilot may have increased speed to try to refill the chute,

hence the impact was worse. They are required to wear flotation

safety vests. She probably would have had a better chance of survival,

in a 90 degree slow fall, versus a 30 to 45 degree, speedy face plant.

I'm sure her husband wouldn't have minded getting wet.

I grew up in Pompano, there has always been safe waters around there.

No shark problems.

she says....Thanks....sheesh.....

What's the problem, al? Don't like the comment?

Godspeed? That was explained to be comparable to good luck. I think she is beyond the benefit of luck.

If it was meant to say hurry along to god - she should be there by now.

People participating in dangerous activities are responsible for making the decision to participate. There will always be the calls for babying every activity, but ultimately there is always a risk of equipment failure.

So Uncle Rufus' Parasailing Company gets a pass, goes unregulated, unlicensed and unmonitored and can strap perfectly good human bodies into any old piece of sh!t harness and haul 'em up to 200 feet. We can wait for an official investigation to cast blame, but your presumption that the purveyors of dangerous thrill rides will regulate and police themselves is laughable (except its not funny).

Welcome to Florida, Tranquil! 'Business regulation' is a profane expression here. The Good-ole-boy Florida legislature serves the lobbyists, not the people.

This is the state where motorcycle riders lobbied the state to get rid of motorcycle helmet laws. One of the first people killed after the repeal was a woman who was a big part in getting the law repealed.

Babying? Are you in some other universe? Tranquil said it well. Yes, you have to see there are some risks when you see a roller coaster, parasailing, parachuting, etc., but the people/companies who offer these services have the responsibility here. They should have a license, training, adequate equipment that is inspected and maintained, and protocols for their use and for emergencies.

Seriously, common sense tells us that if you choose to participate in these activities you have a reasonable expectation that the people who offer them have done what I listed above or would have been shut down. Who is qualified to inspect, license, and regulate these industries? You seriously expect the couple on vacation to know what is needed to be safe with these activities and be able to inspect everything, know who is trained, and so forth? Oh wait, you don't care. You just want them to be able to do as they wish and who cares if people die? Yeah, no babying for the general public. Wow.

Plenty people take their own regulators with them if they plan to scuba dive. It is a pain now with the hoops we have to jump through at the airport, but well worth the effort. Who would have any confidence in renting a regulator in Mexico or any Central or South American country, unless they know the people ? Lots of people are zip lining...how long do you think it will take before these lines or the pulleys start snapping ?

Tranquil - You obviously haven't done any reall research into the effectiveness of government safety regulation. The only real effective measures are based on the perceived enforcement of the infractions. It does almost nothing for the prevention. So once the government does collect its penalty from a violation, the government has no idea how to use that money. It certainly never makes it to the programs that need the help - it is just frittered away.

We see very well how effective the government is at policing any other industry - doctors, lawyers, etc. You can't find very many negative reports on quacks and shysters unless they are so egregious that they violate the sensibilities of politicians - which is nearly impossible. Look at how well they regulate the cell phone drivers - more deaths every day as a result of distracted drivers but congress will NEVER take on the phone industry.

Excellent sarcasm, Sam. Well-played.

While I don't disagree with the point you are making, I have to say that Florida leads the nation in water sports related fatalities for other reasons than what you state. Florida has a lot more water than most states and a lot better weather than most states so you have a huge increase on the number of people partaking in these activities so of course they are going to 'lead the nation in fatalities."

But yes, lack of regulation from Rick Scott, the tool, does contribute.

You go to a restaurant and eat a meal, the restaurants are inspected by the health department. You go to a store, the emergency exists and fire sprinkler systems are inspected for a "CO". Every commercial business in every city that has public shoppers is inspected for safety. Heck you build you home and the electrical, pluming and structure is even inspected for your personal home! why can they not simply have safety inspections of these companies and others like it? and no its not about any political party its a local government issue. The cities have the authority to regulate it through civil codes.

Purple, you are doing an awful lot of postulating about a situation that you know nothing about. but when in the dark, attack a political party. Right? Idiot.

I am surprised if anyone car read your post from beginning to end and not have a frickin headache.

I am watching my dog chase his tail in a circle and it makes more sense to do that than Just's post. Sorry, there may be a great idea hidden in that circle of text but, it escapes me.....

Unfortunately in Florida the Republican/Teapublican legislature set laws in place that you can't sue even for negligence. And I think the max you'll get is $2,500...maybe enough to bury the person in a pine box. Heck in Florida you can have an airline pilot call the tower and tell them he's going to dive the plane into the ground, you still can't get much of anything for the death.

But this is the way Teapublicans want it because that way businesses can pollute, kill, steal, fire, distort, renege on contracts and the people have no recourse.

Colormepurple, thanks for the insight! I actually practice law in Florida and I am not aware of any such limitation. The company I work for carries several million in insurance just because we are not aware of any such waiver. If you could quote me statute or regs on that claim, I would certainly appreciate it because we can dump our insurance and save BIG on insurance premiums!

Centrist, I wouldn't hold my breath. My guess is you will need to continue those premiums because no such law exists. The airline pilot comment was interesting as well.

Colormepurple- Ever thought about switching to GEICO? That little lizard could possibly save you some money on insurance too!

Color purple, color you purple. In color therapy the mixture of red and blue would create purple thought to provide stimulus and serenity. Want help getting those brain synapses firing? Try utilizing the color purple. I think purple person, you are drinking the stuff, just paint a couple walls everything will be OK.

http://www.arttherapyblog.com/online/color-psychology-psychologica-effects-of-colors/#ixzz23jwzhFbb

And some are too quick to assume it is just an accident and tough that this wife and human being is dead. How about holding off on letting the company off with a bit of a fine until we find out what really happened?

Are you saying it was a homicide and not an accident? Because it can only be one or the other. Surely, as an accident, someone failed to appropriately diagnose the safety of the harness. Should the operator be jailed? Fined? Company dissolved? A fine is not letting the company off, its a fine. Not equal to a human life by any stretch of the imagination, but a consequence non the less. Does it have to be an eye for an eye with everyone? Or can we just accept that this woman took a risk?

Someone said in a previous post, parts dont just fail. So somebody messed up. Company can't legally be held responsible, but they ultimately are. And they should be held accountable. More specifically, the operator/person that hooked up the harness should be questioned. Unfortunately, monetary compensation is the only thing that can be offered. Aside from a strict safety policy which wasnt being adhered to.

If there was negligence, the company (which is probably an LLC) will just fold up, go bankrupt, and show up somewhere else with the same folks and a new name. It happens all the time in Florida.

she seemed to be a bigger kind of girl, maybe the harness couldn't handle the load. 28. only 28. very sad.

my thought also....rigging must be capable of dealing with weight and muscular condition. A person of the same weight but more muscle might have been more secure in the harness. Drastic adjustment need to be made for underweight people also.

Understanding that they each had individual harnesses. but they were both seating in the same swing, she got out of her harness (like a seat belt) and slid over for a little 200 feet high hokey pokey. It was simply a fantasy they were having. She slipped and fell. Very sad indeed, but innocent. Don't try and dispute my findings. I have decided to be Clairvoyant and International Psychic Yes my visions will be found to be accurate to within 1/10 of a degree

Yes, it's easier to dismiss these things and blame the customer. It tends to keep the responsibility off companies so there is no need for those annoying regulations. Geez...she is dead. And no, you don't know the husband did it (offensive with no proof) and you don't know it was "just an accident". The harness broke..why? Frayed, old, not connected correctly? An investigation is warranted here, and until there are results all this speculating isn't helpful.

Obviously if somebody drives drunk, they are at fault. Dont put words in my mouth. You dont KNOW if this harness was old/new/defective or anything like that. Surely somebody messed up and didnt do the right safety check. Where was it? Manufacturing company that makes the harness? The parasailing company for not checking its own gear, hell maybe the couple were figitting around when they were being strapped in.

So now YOU want to blame an entire company for this? I suggest we locate the individual/individuals that made the mistake and hold them accoutable. Assuming a mistake was made. But then again, it couldve been a fluke.

I bet you are person that thinks guns should be taken away from everyone just because ONE person uses it in a manner not to your liking?

@Ryan

Nope, I love my guns. But I also feel that most people are too stupid to make the correct decision on use of said gun. As a Vet I was taught all about deadly force and saw the aftermath of it.

You do seem to want to put all the onus on the people PAYING for the ride "figitting" Really) yet let the operator off the hook.

When pigs fly... What will all you government loving people do when you place so many stupid regulations on these operators that they start telling potential customers "Sorry, I can't take you up, you are too fat"? Sue them for discriminating against the morbidly obese? @!$%# happens, more regulation is never the answer. What ever happened to looking out for yourself? Pigs can't fly. Get over it!

i second that also

Rob2470805. Who says anything about outlawing automobiles? Do you think there should be no regulation of automobiles and people can drive without brakes or lights or windshield wipers. I don't know what caused this to happen, but it won't hurt to look into it. If there is some minimal regulation that could have prevented it, I think it prudent to require it to be done. Maybe some inspection or testing of the harness. Or even a minimal design requirement for the harness.

I noticed you never mentioned anything about the people themselves going to this shady unregulated operation. I guess they aren't responsible for their own safety one bit, right?

But you just have to go and incessantly whine about evil Republicans. That "poor woman" put her life at risk and paid the price for it. Life goes on. Stop whining.

@IReadyou

Quitchurbitichin.

Yo sammy: What part of certifying mechanical equipment for hire and operators of the equipment is hard for you to understand. Cabbies, pilots, air mechanics, even carnival rides are regulated. But not beach concessions in Fla. So if a few thousand vacationers shy away from beach concessions because they read in the media it's not safe and the state doesn't care how is that good for the businesses operating there ?

Rick Scott. That's what's going on.