Boating accidents in Boca Chica

[frank recktenwald]

In the last 2 weeks there were 2 accidents with "banana" boats who ran over swimmers. Both foreign victims were dangerously injured but taken away alive.
I couldn't find anything in the press about it because I reckon "el sindicato" is keeping this quite.
One has to be careful in "paradise"!!!

 

[AlterEgo]

They used to have banana boats at Playa Palenque, and my husband always said it was dangerous.

 

[frank recktenwald]

They used to have banana boats at Playa Palenque, and my husband always said it was dangerous.

Same like guns, they're not dangerous. It's the people who use them. :ermm:

 

[HUG]

I do not like water and so have never been in the sea here, but it is normal to have a pedestrian swimming zone that the boats must stay out of. Does Boca not have one of these. Like I said, never noticed because never needed to.

 

[zoomzx11]

Tourist rides
in boats driven by kids. Sosua Beach had done a little too try and make it safer but boat props and swimmers are a bad combination. Usually is a fatal injury due to blood loss. Everytime I swim at Sosua I keep an eye out for these boats as they do not seem to be especially cautious. Here you Better watch out for yourself. Civilized countries do not allow boat traffic on bathing beaches.

 

[AlterEgo]

Same like guns, they're not dangerous. It's the people who use them. :ermm:

EXACTLY. The guys pulling the banana boat here were swinging in very close to the swimmers, over and over again. It was only a matter of time before someone got hurt here too. I suspect it may have happened, because it's gone.

 

[peep2]

Every where else I have been there are two people in the boat. One to drive and watch where he is going and one to watch out for the customers well being. Boca Chica is incredibly dangerous for those who want to swim out where the water is more than knee deep. People are constantly being run into and many bleed to death before they can be rescued and treated.

The powers that be have finally managed to keep the jet skiers out toward the west end of the beach. Now, if only they could get the banana boat drivers to utilize an observer the lagoon might become a safe place to swim.

 

[kenthedentman]

And yet u r still safer in the water than on the beach or the calle in BC.

 

[wrecksum]

i see one regularly at the Alicia beach in Sosua now. It can only be a question of time before someone gets hurt. They use it far too close in to the swimmers.

 

[PJT]

Prudence

Prudence is a liitle known behavior in the DR. The banana boats operate near the beaches to entice the sunning drunkards to go for a ride. It also allows the 'kids" the chance to view and target eye candy for onshore romps.

Regards,

PJT

 

[Criss Colon]

I wonder why "Paragliding" isn't offered here anymore...................
At least where I go.
CC

 

[peep2]

Wow. How many have been hit in the last two or three years?

Can't say for sure. I think it was just last year a young woman had her arm cut off by a speeding boat there and died from bleeding out.

 

[frank recktenwald]

Last year a couple got killed but they were at night in the water from what I've been told

 

[dv8]

Wow. How many have been hit in the last two or three years?

i did a quick search and only came up with this:
Bote parte una mujer, hiere amigo -
from november 2009

there was an italian man who died in march 2013 but that was in las galeras:
Italiano muere al ser impactado por helices de bote - Diario DigitalRD.Com?Tu conexi?n con la verdad.

 

[greydread]

There should be no motor activity inside the reef. I haven't seen this allowed anywhere else in the Caribbean. Even jetski rentals are usually launched from the shore but you aren't allowed to open them up until you get past the reef. From both swimmer safety and ecological perspectives it's a really stupid thing to have motorized craft zipping around in a shallow, protected pool. If they tried that at Aruba's Baby Beach it would turn into a smoothie machine. Boca Chica Beach is larger but the same principle applies.

They'll probably get around to remedying this situation right after they get that traffic light thingy figured out.

 

[Criss Colon]

"Italiano Tar Tar"
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

 

[ROLLOUT]

There should be no motor activity inside the reef. I haven't seen this allowed anywhere else in the Caribbean. Even jetski rentals are usually launched from the shore but you aren't allowed to open them up until you get past the reef. From both swimmer safety and ecological perspectives it's a really stupid thing to have motorized craft zipping around in a shallow, protected pool. If they tried that at Aruba's Baby Beach it would turn into a smoothie machine. Boca Chica Beach is larger but the same principle applies.

They'll probably get around to remedying this situation right after they get that traffic light thingy figured out.

Dread,
Key phrase used by a previous poster something to the effect of "allowed in civilized countries". Some of the nutty, illogical sh!t that goes on in the DR simply boggles the imagination.

 

[greydread]

Dread,
Key phrase used by a previous poster something to the effect of "allowed in civilized countries". Some of the nutty, illogical sh!t that goes on in the DR simply boggles the imagination.

Granted. It's the dark side of its charm.

 

[valeri]

A gringo swimmer barely escaped a full-face collision with a banana boat yesterday in the swimming area of Boca Marina restaurant where people pay for lunch $100 or more.

 

[fernandodiaz]

aaaaa