6-y-o dies, sisters injured after freak accident at beach
Published: Wednesday | August 21, 2013 16 Comments
Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer
What started out as a pleasant holiday trip to a beach in St Ann over the weekend was suddenly transformed into a nightmare for a 28-year-old father of two when a jet ski raced out of the water on to land and into his children, killing one and leaving another battling for life.
Richard Hyman’s six-year-old daughter, Tonoya, was killed by a deadly blow from the jet ski, while yesterday, it remained touch and go for her four-year-old sister, Remonique.
For more go here.
So you’ve been looking around for an example of Yellow Journalism. Look no further. How do you report on a act of manslaughter without implicating the possibly rich, influential or foreign person responsible? You recast it as a Stephen King Horror story (minus the talent) of a rogue jetski becoming suddenly animated with freak power then charging on its own into an unsuspecting family, killing a kid in the process. Who was the skier? Which beach? Who owned the jet skis? Private or a company? It’s called Journalism, Gleaner. You’re here to give us the news, not protect the interests of whoever’s reputation might be damaged because they slaughtered a child.
Yes, yes I know all about the supposedly draconian libel laws in Jamaica but honestly isn’t this just a case of a senior journalist from the newspaper of record willfully gagging himself? Does the Gleaner realize how ridiculous these stories sound?
And its not just the Gleaner either. A few days ago, reporting on tensions in West Kingston the Observer carried this masterpiece of evasive, or is it defensive, reporting:
“Police intelligence suggests that since the arrest and subsequent extradition of Christopher Coke, individuals said to be related to a prominent family that claimed to rule the community from the nineties to 2010, and others claiming to be relatives of a late well-known resident, who claimed to be a ‘Don’, and was said to be the leader of the community in the1980s have become involved in a deadly battle for control,” a police statement Monday said.
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Thank you for this post Annie. So true. How can the name of a beach or owner of a water craft possibly be libelous? The situation with jet skis in Jamaica is ripe for good investigative reporting – we have been talking about regulation for at least 20 years, but have not DONE it. Why not? I also gather that there was a second serious jet ski accident in Negril yesterday – am trying to get details.
Mention not Diana, do keep us posted about the other accident in Negril…i don’t know why licenses aren’t required to operate jetskis…they’re just like motorbikes on water…
I was at couples swept away and witnessed a man with 2 young kids on a jet ski hit a couple kayaking. The female on the kayak was hurt badly..she had pulse but was unconscious.. Please if anyone knows how she is doing would like to know.. I have been praying for her ..this occurred Aug 21 in the morning..
wow, the situation seems even worse than i thought. why isn’t the media doing its due diligence? sigh. why am i asking dumb questions?
Julie, if i hear anything, i’ll post it here. I’m appalled, was this Swept Away in Negril?
I also saw the end of the incident at Couples Swept Away. I was walking by the beach and everyone was staring at the water. The jet ski was taking off with a young girl screaming that she wanted to go home. It was extreme heart-wrenching. I’ve been trying to find out on the Internet what happened to the woman but haven’t read a peep.
Matt, was this in Negril?
Yep, around 9:00 in the morning. My wife and I were headed to the Glass Bottom Boat ride when it happened. Super sad experience.
Thanks Julie and Matt. will try and get more information. seems to have been hushed up.
Gary,
How your editor let you get away with such poor attempt at journalism?
How do you sleep at night?
There was no mention in your feeble story of the person on the jet ski, was it a ghost?
Was it another underage child? Was the person on the jet ski injured?
“had not received any comment from police on the incident “
Gary,
How your editor let you get away with such poor attempt at journalism?
How do you sleep at night?
There was no mention in your feeble story of the person on the jet ski, was it a ghost?
Was it another underage child? Was the person on the jet ski injured?
“had not received any comment from police on the incident “
I thought you would have done your own independent investigation.
Cho, do better than that.
Because of libel…surely you can understand that…. Its easy to talk when you don’t have to worry about losing your livelihood and living the rest of your life in debt
Truth is the defense for libel, whoever was riding that jetski killed the child. no two ways about that. only in Jamaica does the media act like scaredy cats and allow libel laws to silence them. There is absolutely no danger of the rider of the jetski winning a libel case. that’s mega bullshit.
and are you using a pseudonym because you’re afraid of libel too? I swear this is a nation of scaredy pusses.
I am an excellent water skier from Califonia. I was on a single ski by age six. I went to Jamacia and stayed a Sandels Resort and wanted to go water skiing.
I don’t think these guys knew that I was a very good on the single ski. I was going out of the wake and the board was just crunching over a very long and sharp coral reef. I was just skidding along that reef for a while. I knew if I feel in that moment, I would be dead. I will never forget that one. I am so grateful that I was riding coral for about 1o minutes and didn’t take a dive. They really should warn people of that reef.. Why that took me over it, I will never know why. Perhaps they did not expect me to run in and out of the wake. I lived.. Ijust hope others did not fall.. it would be the end. The reef was long and sharp I am grateful to be alive!
Annie Paul, read my story below. I was not water skiing.. I was skiing on a coral reef for at least 10 minutes.. My ski was just scrapping the reef, in a moment if I feel .. I would have been a dead woman. My story below. Have to be careful down there for sure. I hit a reef and flew, and lucky for me It did not fall. I mean I got some air there. I thank god that I made it though that.
Sounds horrific. Glad you survived.
While we are at it we should regulate cars too so that they stop killing people. We seem to rush to put in random laws for random accidents. Lets put in place a law for kindness and common sense!. But if you think libel laws are bad there is this other thing called “internet bullying” which I am sure the politicians are just waiting to drop on some unsuspecting sole.
Dear Owen – cars ARE regulated. You have to get a drivers license, there are traffic laws and a whole range of of arrangements on roads to regulate traffic – stop signs, one way roads, traffic lights, roundabouts, traffic cops to name just a few. Jet skis are entirely unregulated. This is not the first such fatal accident – and there have been a great many which resulted in injuries. Why must we always wait until someone dies before we take commonsense precautions to protect ourselves – well, in this case, not even someone dying has caused us to act. SMH…
My God. I never saw the original report, only heard something on radio and wondered why this was hardly mentioned – although talk show host Joan Williams talked about it at length.
I don’t think this is a libel issue at all. Why don’t the journalists do their job properly?
I suppose they don’t want to jeopardize their chances of a free weekend at the hotel, some time in the future? I remember a tourist was killed in Negril a couple of years ago, but again it was pretty hush-hush. They must have settled out of court or something. UGH. I suppose we will never hear anything more about the incident Diana mentioned.
nothing in the media but there are two comments on my post from tourists who saw the Negril accident, Diana found out that the woman is still in a coma. nothing in the media.