A family is mourning the "tragic" loss of a Bahamian businessman whose life was cut short during a jet ski accident on Sunday at the popular Goodman's Bay beach.

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Meanwhile, 14-year-old Tyrel Forbes also died as a result of an apparent drowning on the August Monday holiday.


http://www.thenassauguardian.com/national_local/325544664184685.php

I wonder if he drowned because of an injury from falling from the jet ski or because he could not swim???

I dont know, unless there were rocks around I dont know how he could get injured, other than the jetski falling on him or something .. maybe going so fast that the fall on the water knocked him out? Definately not a good idea to go on a jetski, or anywhere near the ocean, if one cant swim .. and to make it worse .. no life jacket.

Another sad and tragic incident ..

I am totally amazed by the number of Bahamians who cannot swim. I understand why "city people" may not have learned to swim, but not family island people. And even though they cannot swim they will take their family to the beach on holidays, or allow their non swimming kids to hang out on docks with no adult supervision. About 6 or 7 summers ago I watched a news report on drowning. There had been a few incidents of kids drowning in family/ friends pools with people in the immediate area. I had never thought about it before and guess like many I assumed that if someone fell in and couldn't swim, they would call for help. But this report said that when a person is drowning all systems of the body shut down to allow the person to gasp for air/ try to breathe, so he cannot scream! They showed a video that gave me the shivers and from that day on I made it my mission to make sure my child knew how to swim. And when we go to the beach or pool I always sit where I can watch him - CONSTANTLY! He may be 11 but you don't get a second chance with drowning; either you're dead or brain dead!
Parents please see that your children learn to swim! Basketball and other sports are great, but make an effort to take them in the water to learn to swim.

Gully, I'm sorry, but I can't understand how come "city" people can't swim at all, they are never more than about 3 miles from the ocean if they are on New Providence. I grew up in a small settlement in the UK, nearest sea over 60 miles away (no swimming pool around either) and it was cold and dirty, not at all like our waters here and yet I learnt to swim at an early age.

yeah I agree. I grew up in the canals at Queens Cove on Grand Bahama .. we use to go to the canal on our own .. well me and some older kids, we lived just across the road anyway .. but we could swim good. We use to go down to the bottom etc .. it was fun .. once you could swim .. I thought anyone could at least do a doggy padal, I mean I thought it was just something Humans do .. Met more people In Nassau that cant swim ..

Tip to parents - DONT TAKE YOUR KIDS TO THE BEACH ON A HOLIDAY IF THEY CANNOT SWIM!!!

AA, I mean those kids who live in the areas that are a few miles from the sea and they don't walk to a nearby beach or dock. Are there public pools in Nassau? How many public schools have pools or a swim program?

AA you will appreciate this story: A wealthy second homeowner pledged the $$$ to build a pool at the primary school here. The parents had to raise the $$ to build a deck around the pool with a fence. So many parents objected to the pool until the man took his offer back! The parents were afraid that their kids would "get drownded" in the pool and others did not want their daughters changing in front of other kids!!! Some questioned how it would be maintained..(maybe if someone GIVES your kids a pool you can volunteer to keep it clean!!)

Rory, parents need to take their kids to the beach on holidays and teach them to swim!!! I went to school with some kids whose front door was 20 feet from the water. Their mom said they could not go in the sea until they learned to swim!!!!!!!

Yep, didnt want to mention that as wasnt sure if that was a good idea or not .. guess no diff than a pool really .. except the waves :-)

Also cleaning a pool is very simple, I did that as part of my job for a couple of years .. just takes a little physical work but otherwise there is nothing difficult about it.

AA, I mean those kids who live in the areas that are a few miles from the sea and they don't walk to a nearby beach or dock. Are there public pools in Nassau? How many public schools have pools or a swim program?

AA you will appreciate this story: A wealthy second homeowner pledged the $$$ to build a pool at the primary school here. The parents had to raise the $$ to build a deck around the pool with a fence. So many parents objected to the pool until the man took his offer back! The parents were afraid that their kids would "get drownded" in the pool and others did not want their daughters changing in front of other kids!!! Some questioned how it would be maintained..(maybe if someone GIVES your kids a pool you can volunteer to keep it clean!!)



Hey Gully send him over here to Andros, we'll take the pool, and even if I have to get on my knees and beg I would take care of the rest. Many years ago, I trained as a Swimming Instructor, it's much easier to teach kids to swim in a pool than in the sea.

I remember back when I was teaching in Nassau and we had a staff summer social, the committee set up a nice beach picnic at South Ocean. What got to me was the number of staff who didn't want to come because it was at the beach and they were scared of the ocean. I , as a new arrival, couldn't believe how people who were born and raised close to the sea could be so scared of it. It was mostly those of us who originated from other countries who went in the water.

I dont know, unless there were rocks around I dont know how he could get injured, other than the jetski falling on him or something .. maybe going so fast that the fall on the water knocked him out? Definately not a good idea to go on a jetski, or anywhere near the ocean, if one cant swim .. and to make it worse .. no life jacket.
Another sad and tragic incident ..


There are no rocks around Goodman's Bay where the jetskis come in on the pathway (dirt road) to off load their machines. Once you get out about 50 feet from shore, the water is over your head -- even at low tide.

Whenever the tide is coming in or going out, the water is choppy and the jetskis are just slamming the waves. You can hear the jetskis slamming all the way from the big curve on West Bay Street.