Bahamas grapples with tourist assault cases linked to jet ski operators

On a typical day, authorities in The Bahamas are focused on maintaining the mini archipelago off Florida as a safe haven for millions of tourists who relax on the plethora of beaches, resorts, and other entertainment spots.

When they are not so engaged, efforts are concentrated on navigating the plethora of problems besetting governments, crime reduction, improving health care, and providing quality education for citizens, among other key responsibilities.

But in recent weeks, authorities say they have been forced to confront a new phenomenon that is threatening to undermine the water sports aspects of its lifeline tourism sector – sexual assaults and rape – of a few visitors by rogue jet ski operators.

Less than a handful of incidents where American tourists complained of rape or sexual assaults have reached both the administration of Prime Minister Phillip Davis and American diplomats, and it appears now that government will take decisive action to weed out this practice.

Minister of Security Wayne Munroe and other top officials say preliminary investigations point to unlicensed jet ski operators as the main culprits. Authorities are going to tighten regulations regarding their involvement in watercraft sports. The Bahamas plays host to up to 12 million tourists annually.

“Investigations into these reported incidents have revealed an overwhelming involvement of illicit operators who were not licensed by the port department to conduct commercial jet ski operations,” the transport said in a statement at the weekend, noting that “these illegal operators” do not represent a legitimate part of the sector.”

And in what some may consider a bizarre suggestion, Minister Munroe has suggested that “it is our view and the police’s view that requiring body-worn cameras to be attached to the life vest when you rent a jet ski would seek to mitigate some of the issues. Most people commit sexual offenses in private, so if you have a live camera on it, then you’re never alone. The body-worn cameras actually permit you to communicate to a base, so if you get injured, you can call for help.”

Rape and sexual assault apart, the American mission also referred to injuries sustained by tourists at the hands of some operators noting that “since August 2024, four US citizens were hospitalized with injuries from jet ski accidents. Of these, two needed emergency evacuations to the US due to their injuries. Due to security risks, US government employees working in The Bahamas are prohibited from renting and using skis on New Providence and Paradise islands,” the mission stated.

In an interesting twist to the saga, the Tribune newspaper reported that President Trump had raised the issue in his first term with then-Prime Minister Hubert Minnis, asking him to deal with the situation as complaints had been on the increase.

“His concern at that time was jet skis and the pleasure cruise that toured the American tourists. There were too many complaints about harassment and other forms of aggression or illegalities. We don’t need laws. What we need is enforcement. We are a country of laws but not a country of enforcement, and that’s what the president was basically saying,” Minnis noted.