(GULF SHORES, Ala.) After a recent accidental parasailing death in Pompano Beach Florida, local officials are citing their own lessons learned and the success of a city ordinance that gives Gulf Shores officials some degree of control over the industry.
The ordinance passed in 2010 helps regulate how the Parasailing Business operates through business license regulation. "With that business license application the ordinance requires operators to trim the lines and follow manufacturer specifications on the shoot that is used. The number of passengers is regulated, the safety speech that is done and a lot of what is part of the operation is regulated throughout the city ordinance," said Grant Brown with the City of Gulf Shores.
Brown says the Coast Guard is responsible for safety on the vessel used to tow a parasail and all of the equipment it carries. Brown points to a good safety record over the years. The most recent incident was when a small advertising airplane flew too low near a parasail. The FAA investigated that incident.
