Sad news coming from the beautiful island of Saint Maarten in the Caribbean where plane spotters like to gather at the famous Maho Beach, just a few meters away from the airports runway.
A 57-year old New Zealand woman was reportedly injured after being hit with an airplane’s jet blast and then knocked over causing a head injury.
Large signs are set up all around the beach area and the airports fence to warn people about the dangers of the jet blast and possible injury. This still doesn’t keep folks from hanging onto the fence right behind the runway where aircraft such as the KLM Boeing 747 are taking off.
TIME Magazine reported the fatality yesterday (access here).
A New Zealand woman died Wednesday after being hit with an airplane’s jet blast at a Caribbean beach known for its close-up views of aircraft arriving and departing a nearby airport, police said.
The 57-year-old was seriously injured after being knocked over by the blast from a plane departing Sint Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport. She later died at the Sint Maarten Medical Center as a result of her injuries.
Tourists frequent the location, called Maho Beach, for unique views of low-flying planes as they land and take off from the airport, despite officials’ warnings about the potential dangers.
Before the incident, the woman and several others were holding on to a fence that separates the airport and the beach, police said. The fence has signs reading “Do not stand. Danger. Jet Blast” warning of the harm that can result from standing in the area. …
I’ve been to Maho Beach a couple of years ago and it was a fun place to stay. There are even schedules that show the daily arrival and departure times of the flights.
Conclusion
This was a tragic accident that couldn’t have been prevented unless the lady had observed the signs and warnings set up by the authorities.
Unfortunately these things happen if we’re not careful just like falling down the stairs and getting into an accident when crossing the street ignoring a red light. Local authorities said that while there have been injuries before, this was the first fatality.
