http://www.news24.com/Images/Photos/20051128074820jetski.jpgThe deaths of two men in a freak jetski accident at the weekend has once again highlighted the urgent need for government to regulate the recreational vehicles. Pietermaritzburg - The deaths of two men, one of them from
The two deaths come a month after Calvin Wearne, 14, of Kloof was severely injured on Inanda dam when a jetski rider ploughed into the back of the boat he was on. Wearne is still in a critical condition in ICU at St Augustineís hospital.
The Witness reported recently that the national department of Transport had set up a task team to investigate regulating jetski use.
Regulations could include an age restriction of 16, as well as mandatory competency tests.
Secunda construction worker, ex-cop Suresh Gopaul, 35, and his friend, Bruce Moodley, 27, of Newcastle were jetskiing on the popular tourist resort, Wagendrift Dam outside Estcourt at around 16:30 on Friday when their two-man jetski capsized. The two men were some 60m from the shore in 20m deep water. Neither man was wearing a life-jacket. Witnesses said the wind had started to pick up, creating half-metre swells on the dam just before a storm broke. The two men could clearly be seen from the shore trying to swim back to the jetski, which the wind was blowing away from them. They then suddenly disappeared beneath the water.
Anglers on the shore rushed to alert the dam managers of the municipality who called off the search once it became dark.
An eerie silence hung over Wagendrift on Saturday afternoon as friends and family of the men, as well as local weekend trippers watched SAPS Special Task Team divers, Pietermaritzburg SAPS divers and SAPS Dog Unitís Inspector Jack Haskins conducting the search.. Rescue efforts, which used the zig-zag
ëJack-stayí search pattern to comb the dam floor, were hampered by zero visibility underwater, thick mud and debris, including trees on the bottom and the fact that each of the four diversí underwater searching time was limited to 20 minutes, due to the risk of decompression illness from spending too long at 21m underwater. In addition, each diver had to remain out of the water for a three-hour Surface Interval Time after each dive, again to reduce the risk of decompression sickness.
Rescue efforts were called off on Saturday afternoon after a lightning storm and strong winds made the rescue attempts impossible. Navy divers were then called in on Sunday to replace the SAPS Special Task Force divers.
While he waited for the grim, inevitable result of the search, Gopaulís father, Mungal Gopaul said his son, an experienced jetski rider, had just bought the 1200 Yamaha jetski through AutoTrader magazine in
"You need a licence to ride a motorbike. Jetskis are motorbikes on water. There should be mandatory rules governing life-saving, safety procedures like seatbelts in cars, and much stricter controls when you buy a jetski,î a tearful Gopaul warned.
Family members urged government to consider age restrictions, competency tests and training courses for jet-ski riders.
News24/Natal Witness