The incident in which a 11-month-old baby was allowed to take part in a parasailing event on the Muzhappilangad beach here has turned the spotlight on the absence of rules concerning the safety of such adventure sports events.
The Edakkad police have registered a case under Section 23 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.against the organiser of the parasailing event, Malabar Aero Sports Society (MASS). The police said the case was registered for exposing the child to a dangerous situation. The child was examined by doctors as part of the investigation.
The child, daughter of a woman parasailing instructor of the society, had been flown up to 30 ft alone in the parasail in the presence of invited guests, including District Police Chief P.N. Unnirajan. The police said the child’s parents are actively involved in the parasailing and paragliding and other aero sports activities of MASS. The child’s mother is said to have 60 hours of flying experience.
The parents’ consent, however, is no excuse for exposing children to dangerous situations, according to child rights activists.
The incident has drawn the attention to the lack of laws concerning enforcement of safety measures to be ensured by groups conducting adventure events such as parasailing. The credentials of the organisations running such adventure sports events are not known as there is no regulatory authority setting norms for such events.
“This incident has opened up a Pandora’s box as it has shed light on the absence of any regulatory mechanism,” S. Sreejith, Deputy Inspector General of Police and Chief Investigation Officer of the Kerala State Human Rights Commission, told The Hindu . He questioned the people involved with MAAS on Wednesday. He said the society is said to have trained and flown 30,000 people in parasailing and other aero sports events over two decades. People are flown in the parasail and other aero sports contraptions without following any norms including physical fitness, he added.
The incident has brought to light the importance of having a regulatory system for setting legal and safety norms for adventure sports groups. It was earlier this month that District Collector P. Bala Kiran had suffered minor injuries in a flawed landing of the motor paraglider on the Payyambalam beach here.
