Jet Blast Kills Tourist on Beach

NZ woman failed to heed warning signs
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 13, 2017 2:10 AM CDT
Jet Blast Kills Tourist on Beach
A jet flying above Maho Beach.   (AP Photo/St. Maarten Tourism Bureau)

A tourist from New Zealand was killed by a jet blast Wednesday at a Caribbean beach famous for being under low-flying aircraft. According to 721News, the 57-year-old woman was holding on to the fence separating St. Maarten's Maho Beach from Princess Juliana International Airport when the blast from a departing Boeing 737 threw her to the ground, causing a fatal head injury.

The beach is popular with thrill-seekers and plane-spotters, and warning signs reading, "Do not stand. Danger. Jet Blast" urge tourists to stay away from the fence, the New York Daily News reports. This is the first death at the site, though a woman was seriously injured in a similar incident in 2012. (More St. Maarten stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X