A new security alert warns travelers about jet ski operators in Nassau following concerns over assaults, accidents and weak regulations.
Authorities are warning Americans about jet ski trips in the Bahamas after reports of sexual assaults and accidents.
In a June 15 safety alert, the U.S. Embassy in Nassau advised travelers of the “risks of operating a jet ski or accepting rides from operators in the Bahamas as safety regulations are not enforced.” The alert urged Americans to avoid renting jet skis in the Caribbean country and to be wary of solicitors, especially near cruise ports, Junkanoo Beach, Arawak Cay and the eastern islands of Paradise Island.
Last year, the State Department shared a similar warning in a travel advisory about “swimming-related risks” associated with jet skiing and boating. The agency detailed reports of sexual assault and concerns about businesses that are likely unlicensed or uninsured, or who ignore weather warnings and 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 that a Nassau-based jet ski operator sexually assaulted women who are American citizens. Two American women reported sexual assault in 2025, and three others reported sexual assault in 2024, according to the embassy.
In April 2025, the Bahamian media Tribune reported that two American women had accused a local jet ski operator of rape after tourists claimed they were taken to a remote island and assaulted. One of the victims was a 23-year-old cruise passenger, who was later charged.
A new law banning jet ski operators from riding with passengers will come into effect in March 2026 to reduce the opportunity for “unwanted sexual misconduct” following a series of sexual assault allegations, Vern Wright, acting senior commander of the Port Authority, said, according to the Tribune.
Some women said male operators assaulted them after soliciting jet ski rides on the beach on Paradise Island, a small island just east of Paradise Island in downtown Nassau, according to security alerts. The incident reportedly took place on a “remote island near Nassau.”
A lack of regulation and enforcement has also led to safety incidents involving U.S. citizens, including a fatal accident in August 2025, the security alert added. An unlicensed pilot operating an unauthorized boat in the waters off Paradise Island hit an American on a jet ski.
Since August 2024, six Americans have been hospitalized with injuries from jet ski accidents. Three of them required emergency medical evacuation to the United States, according to the alert.
The Bahamian archipelago, a popular cruise and vacation destination for Americans, is under a Level 2 U.S. travel advisory as of June 15 due to violent crimes including armed robbery, robbery and sexual assault, urging visitors to “exceed vigilance.”
