Woman thrown to her death by jet engine blast on Caribbean beach
A woman has died on a Caribbean island after being knocked to the ground by the blast from a powerful jet engine.
The incident happened at the Princess Juliana International Airport at Sint Maarten, which is famous for being so close to the beach.
Many holidaymakers come to the beach specifically because planes fly so low over part of it.
Beachgoers can walk up to the airport fence as planes take off but are warned of the dangers of getting too close.
Police said the 57-year-old woman, from New Zealand, had been holding on to the fence before the force of the jet engines of the plane, reportedly a Boeing 737, threw her backwards and she hit her head on a concrete block.
She was taken to hospital for treatment, but died later.
The start of the airport’s runway is just 50m from the beach fence.
Despite warning signs, videos circulating online show tourists clinging to the fence to prevent being blown away and even almost being lifted off the ground.
The island’s tourism director, Rolando Brison, told the New Zealand Herald he had spoken to the family of the victim.
"I met with the family of the deceased this evening and while they recognised that what they did was wrong, through the clearly visible danger signs, they regret that risk they took turned out in the worst possible way," he said.
Sint Maarten police said they visit the area daily to discourage tourists from clinging to the runway fence.
"The landing and taking off of all types and size of aircrafts at the international airport of Sint Maarten is well known worldwide as major tourist attraction," police said.
"Many tourists come to the island to experience the thrills of the landing of approaching aircrafts flying low above their heads and the holding on to the airport fence and standing in the jet blast of large aircraft taking off. Doing this is, however, extremely dangerous."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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