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Officials are warning Americans about jet ski excursions in the Bahamas following reports of sexual assaults and accidents.In a June 15 security alert, the U.S. Embassy in Nassau advised travelers about "the risks of operating or accepting rides from operators of jet skis due to the lack of enforcement of safety regulations in the Bahamas." The alert urged Americans to avoid renting jet skis in the Caribbean country and to be wary of solicitations from operators, specifically near the Cruise Port, Junkanoo Beach, Arawak Cay, and the islands east of Paradise Island.Last year, the U.S. State Department shared a similar warning in its travel advisory about "swimming-related risks," related to jet skis and boating, and beach safety. The agency detailed the sexual assault reports and concerns over potentially unlicensed or uninsured operators, or those who ignore weather warnings and still take people out.The State Department did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.Since 2024, the embassy has received multiple reports of Nassau-based jet ski operators sexually assaulting women who are U.S. citizens. According to the embassy, two U.S. women reported sexual assaults in 2025, while three others reported sexual assaults in 2024.In April 2025, The Tribune, a Bahamian media outlet, reported that there were two alleged rape cases by U.S. women against local jet ski operators in which the tourists were taken to isolated islands and assaulted. One victim was a 23-year-old cruise passenger, and the man has since been charged.Following the string of sexual assault allegations, a new law went into effect in March 2026, prohibiting jet ski operators from riding with guests to reduce the opportunity "for unwanted sexual misconduct," Acting Port Controller Senior Commander Berne Wright said, according to the Tribune.Some of the women said the male operators assaulted them after soliciting them for jet ski rides from small islands just east of Paradise Island, downtown Nassau, and Paradise Island beaches, according to the security alert. The alleged assaults reportedly took place "on isolated islands near Nassau."The lack of regulations and enforcement has also led to safety incidents involving U.S. citizens, including a death in August 2025, the security alert added. An unlicensed operator driving an unregistered boat in the waters of Paradise Island struck an American riding a jet ski.Since August 2024, six Americans were hospitalized with injuries due to jet ski accidents, with three needing emergency medical evacuations to the United States, according to the security alert.The Bahamas, a popular cruise and vacation destination for Americans, is under a Level 2 U.S. travel advisory as of June 15, which urges visitors to “exercise increased caution” due to violent crime, including armed robberies, burglaries, and sexual assaults.
