Rules amended for NMI’s jet ski operators

By Marconi Calindas
Reporter

The Coastal Resources Management Office has put into effect three amendments in the permits being held by commercial jet ski operators as a means to prevent more injuries or fatalities among customers —nearly a month after a 10-year-old girl died when she was thrown off a jet ski.

Martin Castro, CRMO permitting manager, said these amendments have been sent to all 12 jetski operators in the CNMI.

The operators unanimously voted to adopt the amendments during a meeting held last Feb. 18 at the CRMO conference room. Castro said that, should operators have questions about the amendments, they could always call his office for clarification.

The amendments state that permit holders would not rent nor allow the jet skis to be operated by any person under the age of 16 and that all patrons under 16 must be seated only at the rear end of the vehicle.

Part of the amendment also states that, apart from the usual English-language brochures, the operator should also provide patrons with brochures written in different languages like Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. They should brief customers on safety procedures and appropriate CNMI regulations for jet skis.

After the briefing, the patrons must be required to acknowledge by signing a document prepared by the operator that a briefing was conducted and thoroughly explained to the patrons, who then must follow the operator’s protocols for the jet skis. In return, the operator will also have to sign the document the patrons had signed.

When an accident occurs during the operation, the operators would have to notify CRMO and submit copies of the accident report to CRMO within 10 days.

The operators must assign a guide to be present at the operating course wherever there is a patron in the sea. When the operator sends additional patrons to sea, a second guide must accompany the additional patron.

The permit states that all patrons should always have a guide with them while at sea or at the docking area. CRMO also requires that all patrons must wear life jackets while at sea.

CRMO reminds jet ski operators to comply with all provisions of Boating Safety Act of 1982 that jet skis should not exceed 5mph within 200 yards of the shoreline.

If operators want an additional jet ski as a rescue vehicle, the operators must write to the CRMO defining such a request.

Castro said that rescue jet skis are not mandatory since not all operators could afford additional equipment. It was also discussed during the operators’ meeting that if the additional jet ski is needed, it should be for rescue purposes only and not for commercial use.

The amendments were approved in the aftermath of the jet ski accident that led to the death of the 10-year-old Korean girl last Feb. 13.