Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Farley Augustine is weighing an outright ban on the use of jet skis in Tobago, following the tragic death of Angelica Jogie at Pigeon Point on Wednesday.
At a media conference yesterday, hours after police arrested the operator of the jet ski involved in the tragic incident, Augustine said the safety of visitors and residents is non-negotiable and Jogie’s death was entirely preventable.
Augustine said the incident had shaken him and left Tobago and the entire country in pain.
“We had an incident that occurred and the operator fled the scene. That does not look good for the entire island. The entire island is now pained. The entire country is now pained. This is a child who has not had the benefit of life—full life. So much potential gone. I could only think of my own daughter. I have one seed, imagine if that gone in that way. I dunno if mad house go pick me up,” Augustine said.
Asked whether discussions are underway about banning the use of jet skis on the island, he said, “It is something being considered now.”
Augustine said the concerns around the reckless use of jet skis have lingered for years and the industry faced a temporary closure in 2011 under the former People’s National Movement administration.
He noted jet skis are currently prohibited from operating in the Pigeon Point Heritage Park and are only permitted to traverse through to get to a separate destination. He said he has also instructed Secretary of Legal Affairs Adanna Joseph-Wallace to determine whether the THA could sue tour operators and watersports operators who breach the rules surrounding areas under its remit.
“We will use every muscle we have. We will use every legal authority we can find to go after individuals…,” Augustine said.
“We don’t have authority to take action through the route of criminal court but we can take civil action, and we very much intend to do so to the extent where will bankrupt some of them if they don’t know how to behave… How much more talk we go talk.”
Augustine said the incident had overshadowed a robust Easter season for tourism, which saw over 11,000 passengers on 502 flights between March 27 and April 12. The seabridge also saw over 21,000 passengers and over 500 vehicles transported from April 1-7. The Pigeon Point Heritage Park also saw a surge in visitors with 3,000 patrons on Easter Sunday and 3,381 visitors on Easter Monday.
He said the THA would do whatever it takes to ensure destination Tobago is not undermined.
Meanwhile, Angelica’s aunt posted a tribute to her on Facebook yesterday, saying the family would always remember her as forever young, forever happy and forever an angel.
“She was a gift to this world,” she wrote.
Angelica died on Wednesday afternoon after being struck by a jet ski while playing in the water with relatives, including father Arnold and mother Salisha, at Pigeon Point.
According to police reports, the jet ski breached a barrier separating watercraft from swimmers shortly after 4.30 pm, ploughing into Angelica, her parents and her uncle. The child was pulled from the water, bleeding and unconscious, as frantic relatives and bystanders rushed to help. Her uncle was also injured, and her father was taken to the hospital on Wednesday night.
After she was hit, lifeguards immediately began CPR while a visiting doctor from the United Kingdom joined efforts to save her. Despite their attempts, Angelica never regained consciousness.
School mourns loss of angel
Mourning gripped the San Fernando TML Primary School community yesterday, as students, parents and staff struggled to come to terms with the tragic loss Jogie.
Described as a “beautiful angel” and an “A” student, school principal Wahida Mohammed-Narine said Angelica’s death had left an aching void within the TML family, where her warmth, discipline and quiet brilliance had already begun to leave a lasting mark.
Mohammed-Narine, in a heartfelt message to parents, remembered the Standard One pupil as “bright, beautiful, well-disciplined and full of promise,” adding that her “gentle spirit and positive presence touched the lives of her classmates, teachers and all who had the privilege of knowing her.”
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy for our entire school community,” she said, as she extended condolences to Angelica’s grieving family and assured that counselling support was being mobilised for students, staff and relatives affected by the loss,” the principal said.
Angelica’s death has ignited renewed calls for tighter regulation of recreational watercraft, including stricter licencing requirements, enforcement of designated zones, sobriety checks for operators and a stronger presence of marine patrols at high-traffic beaches.
Among those making the call was businessman and Hindu pundit Dr Donny Samlal, a close family friend who was at the beach at the time. He said the incident had left his family deeply traumatised.
“My family and I are still traumatised by the loss of this child,” he said, describing the moments leading up to the collision as deeply troubling.
“One of the major issues was the uncontrolled use of jet skis by very young operators,” Samlal said.
“Many of the users appeared careless, and some seemed to be heavily intoxicated.”
He also raised concerns about the apparent use of cannabis among some tour operators.
“These are people responsible for guiding and transporting visitors. They should be held to the highest standards of safety,” he said.
The absence of visible law enforcement and structured safety systems at the popular beach, he added, only heightened the risk.
“At a major tourism site like Pigeon Point, there should be clear systems in place for monitoring, regulation and immediate emergency intervention. The absence of control increases the likelihood of tragedy.”
“No family visiting Tobago for leisure should have to endure such trauma,” Samlal said.
“The loss of a child’s life under these circumstances is heartbreaking.”
In the school’s WhatsApp chats, an outpouring of love and support came for the grieving family. Angelica’s schoolmates and her teacher, Salma Elahie-Ali, were distraught over the death of the gentle, brilliant and well-mannered child.Teachers described her as quietly determined, respectful and eager to learn. Parents urged the THA to act decisively.
