Horrible Parasailing Accident In Florida Injures Two Teen Girls (Video)
On Monday, two teenage girls were parasailing in Panama City Beach, Florida, when an impending storm turned winds their way, snapping the cable that connected to the boat and sending them hurdling towards building. A portion of the accident was captured on video by a beachgoer.
According to WMBB, “…the girls hit a balcony on the condo, got caught in power lines and then hit several cars in the parking lot. They were transported to the hospital from the Commodore Condominiums parking lot.”
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are investigating the accident.
Witness Jake Hood, who was on vacation when he watched the horrifying accident unfold, said, “I saw them just going out of control, first hit the hotel, and then they grabbed the rail, and then of course it brought them up, came over the top. When they got closer to the ground the parachute just dropped and then that car, pretty big impact.”
One SUV had severe damage to the hood, where the girls had hit.
Six years ago, teenage sisters Amber and Crystal White experienced a similar accident when a storm caused the cord connecting the chute to the boat pulling it break, sending them flying into a hotel nearby. Unfortunately, 15-year-old Amber died, while her 17-year-old sister survived, but was left with permanent brain damage.
According to the Parasail Safety Council, more than 420 people have been seriously injured from parasailing accidents over the past 30 years and “there are no governmental regulations for safety inspections of the parasailing equipment. There are no mandatory requirements for maintenance and retirement of the tow lines, chutes or harnesses.”
The condition of the two teenage girls in Panama City Beach is still unknown.