THE TOBAGO House of Assembly (THA) has been granted an extension of a month to reach an amicable settlement with the family of seven-year-old Angelica Jogie, who died after a jet ski collision at Pigeon Point Heritage Park in Tobago on April 8, before legal proceedings are filed over her death.The extension was granted until September 9, following a response from attorneys representing Jogie’s family and estate to a request from THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine for additional time to respond to a pre-action protocol letter.The THA, along with Pigeon Point Heritage Park Ltd and the jet ski operator, had previously been served a pre-action protocol letter on July 15. They were given 28 days to respond or legal proceedings would have been brought against them.In a letter dated August 14, Freedom Law Chambers, led by Anand Ramlogan, SC, said the family had agreed to the extension “in the hope that this matter can be amicably resolved”.The attorneys, however, made it clear that the extension was the final opportunity for the matter to be settled without court proceedings.“We are, however, instructed that should the matter not be amicably resolved by that date, our clients will proceed to file their claim without further notice,” the letter stated.The correspondence was in response to Augustine’s August 11 letter concerning claims arising from events on April 8. The attorneys said the family acknowledged the THA’s expression of “grave concern” over the events and Augustine’s public statements and condolences. They said the Chief Secretary’s comments had brought “much hope and comfort” to the family during their bereavement.The attorneys specifically referred to Augustine’s public acknowledgement of Angelica’s death, in which he stated that Arnold and Salisha Jogie were her parents and that their daughter had been left unconscious before later dying at Scarborough General Hospital. The letter also referred to comments by the Chief Secretary that “there must be order in the space, it cannot be a free-for-all” and that “danger has been allowed to coexist with recreation for far too long”.The attorneys said those statements were significant to their clients and noted that Augustine had publicly recognised the family’s loss.The extension meant the THA had until September 9 to resolve the matter. If no agreement was reached by then, the family’s attorneys said they had instructions to proceed with filing the claim without further notice.The letter was signed by attorney-at-law Jordanne Pereira of Freedom Law Chambers.In the pre-action protocol letter on July 15, the attorneys alleged that the family had been bathing in a designated bathing area when the jet ski entered the area and collided with them. Angelica suffered multiple traumatic injuries and later died, while both parents were injured and the seven-year-old witnessed the collision and its aftermath. The proposed claim alleged that the jet ski operator failed to keep the craft under proper control and failed to avoid members of the public using the beach.The family also alleged that the THA and Pigeon Point Heritage Park Ltd failed to put in place and enforce adequate safety measures for watercraft operations. The attorneys referred to a 2017 draft Jet Ski Policy and Regulations document prepared by a THA-appointed task force, which had identified the risks posed by jet skis operating near swimmers and recommended measures including keeping jet skis at least 300 feet from bathers, establishing designated operating areas and introducing licensing and enforcement measures. The proposed claim argued that the risks had therefore been identified years before Angelica’s death but adequate measures had not been implemented or enforced. Concerns were also raised about the time taken for an ambulance to arrive following the collision.The family said the incident resulted in physical injuries, psychological trauma, loss of earnings and other expenses. They indicated that they would seek damages for personal injuries, pain and suffering, psychiatric injury, loss of earnings and earning capacity, as well as expenses for medical treatment, transportation, counselling and psychological care. The estate would also seek damages for loss of expectation of life and loss of earnings.