The message from the U.S. Embassy in Nassau is blunt: skip the jet skis. On Monday, embassy officials urged American travelers to avoid renting personal watercraft in the Bahamas, linking the popular beach activity to serious injuries, a deadly crash and multiple reports of sexual assault. Ambassador Herschel Walker rolled out the warning in a public-service video and a formal security alert, saying "we've lost American lives to preventable accidents." The advisory zeroes in on high-traffic stretches around Nassau and Paradise Island, where vendors routinely approach tourists on the sand.
The security alert, issued June 15, tells U.S. citizens to "avoid renting jet skis" and flags "serious and ongoing dangers" tied to unregulated operators in and around Nassau, according to Cleveland.com. The notice urges extra caution near the Nassau cruise port and along beaches from Junkanoo to Cabbage and Saunders beaches, where casual strolls often come with hard sells on water-sports rentals.
According to the embassy, six U.S. citizens have been hospitalized in personal-watercraft incidents since August 2024, and three of them needed emergency medical evacuation. Officials also cite a September 2025 crash that killed a U.S. service member. Local outlets have tracked those hospitalizations and the fatal collision in detail; see reporting by The Tribune for the full timeline and aftermath.
Bahamian Reforms And A Jet-Ski Task Force
In March, the Port Department rolled out new maritime rules that bar jet-ski operators from riding with guests, a change officials say is meant to reduce the risk of sexual misconduct. Acting Port Controller Senior Commander Berne Wright told The Tribune, "If an operator rides with a guest, it cracks the door for unwanted sexual misconduct." Authorities also formed a multi-agency jet-ski task force in 2025, and U.S. diplomats say the unit needs consistent resources and on-the-ground activity if it is going to make a noticeable dent in bad behavior.
What Travelers Should Know
The embassy and the State Department are steering visitors toward some extra homework before they hit the water. They recommend that travelers register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, buy travel medical insurance that includes evacuation coverage, and verify a vendor’s licensing and safety practices before renting any equipment. The State Department’s country guidance warns that some operators may be unlicensed or uninsured and notes that U.S. government employees are not allowed to rent jet skis on New Providence and Paradise islands; see Travel.State.Gov for the fine print and embassy contact information.
Industry Reaction
Licensed water-sports operators say they are bracing for impact. The embassy’s broad warning, they argue, will scare off paying customers from fully compliant businesses that depend on summer tourism, while leaving the real reputational damage created by illegal vendors largely untouched. Local owners and tourism stakeholders have told reporters that clearer certification rules, visible on-beach enforcement and a public registry of approved operators would help visitors separate vetted companies from rogue sellers; for more on the homegrown backlash and proposals, see Local10.
Legal Implications
Bahamian police have opened investigations into multiple reports of sexual assault and dangerous conduct linked to jet-ski vendors, and some operators have already faced charges or court proceedings, according to reporting around the embassy alert. Officials say those cases helped fuel the recent regulatory crackdown and the push for the dedicated task force. Background on the investigations and the government’s response is summarized by Cleveland.com.
For now, the embassy is framing its message as a safety move rather than a call to cancel Bahamas vacations altogether. Diplomats say they will keep working with Bahamian authorities and tourism partners to lower the risks. Travelers who still plan to get out on the water are being urged to favor vetted, licensed operators, keep emergency contact numbers handy and read the embassy’s and State Department’s current guidance on Travel.State.Gov before they climb onto a jet ski.
