Parasailors Lofted?

[ricki]

I just saw this. Squalls effect all of us, kiters, sailors and parasailors. Hope the girls will be all right.

Two girls badly hurt in Pompano Beach parasailing accident
By Juan Ortega | Sun-Sentinel.com
5:57 PM EDT, August 18, 2007

Two teenage sisters were seriously hurt Saturday afternoon in a parasailing accident that made them crash into a building and two palm trees in Pompano Beach.

The girls, ages 15 and 16, whose identities weren't released by officials, were taken to North Broward Medical Center in serious condition, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.

One, if not both of them, suffered life-threatening injuries, said Sandra King, spokeswoman for Pompano Beach Fire-Rescue.

The girls were vacationing in Broward County from the Ocala area with a family friend, King said.

They went parasailing about 1 p.m. As a boat towed them, they were both harnessed to a parachute in the air.

With the tow rope still connected to their parachute, they drifted and crashed onto the second floor of the Beachcomber Resort & Villas, at 1200 S. Ocean Blvd, officials said.

"They hit the roof as if they hit the ground," King said.

The pulling also made the boat come ashore, and it may have not had power, King said.

According to King:

The girls were dragged across the building.

At some point, the rope broke.

The girls then fell from the building and struck a palm tree.

Then they struck a second palm tree, where they remained entangled until someone came to their rescue and used a knife to cut the harness and rope to free them.

Paramedics arrived. One girl was flown by helicopter to the hospital, and the other was taken by ambulance.

"This had to have been an absolute nightmare for these girls," King said.

From: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-0818...a_tab01_layout



The wind graph for the area appears below. A similar squall gust spike hit around half after 1 PM as well up the coast in Delray. It seems like it was a fairly large system.





I understand two girls were severely injured with one dying in Puerto Plata while parasailing in the same squall that lofted kiteboarder over 800 ft. in nearby Cabarete several years ago.

Some other parasailing accidents are described at:
http://www.sptimes.com/2004/04/14/St..._new_rul.shtml

It is unknown what exactly happened at this time but it could have been that the parachute was heavily loaded up in the squall gusts from the east and was pulled into shore with the girls aloft. Once the boat struck bottom the tow line continued to load up until something failed. Failure could have been at a weak point or by the line rubbing against something, it is hard to say at this point. I understand 1/2 inch braided spectra line is often used with a breaking strength of about 12,000 pounds.