GIRL’S DEATH IN BAY MUST LEAD TO CRACKDOWN

The July 29th death of 12-year-old girl who was run over by a personal watercraft while paddle boarding in the De Anza Cove area of Mission Bay demands a strong response from City Hall, lifeguards, police and prosecutors. While specifics of the case have not been revealed while police continue their investigation, a report this week outlined concerns that the Jet Ski may have been an illegal rental from an unlicensed company that isn’t required to inform renters of basic safety protocols and how to use the craft without endangering others or creating hazards. Such companies also often don’t have the insurance that licensed operators must provide.

The problem posed by illegal rentals — which proliferated during the pandemic — has long been clear. Lifeguard James Gartland warned in June that individuals who rent watercraft using phone apps instead of going to a rental business “show up at a public boat launch, they get on [their rental] and they go 70 miles an hour within two to three minutes.” A recent report from the city said that 139 watercraft had been impounded this year and eight citations had been issued for illegal sales or rental of merchandise on Mission Bay.

But the girl’s death shows the urgent need to do much more. Smart suggestions include mounting undercover sting operations targeting illegal rentals and imposing stiffer fines against those responsible. Another possibility is having police assist city lifeguards in their citing of reckless riders. Signs at Mission Bay warning of the dangers of illegal rentals and reckless use of personal watercraft also make sense. Even if it emerges that the rider on the Jet Ski that killed the 12-year-old rented the craft legally, these ideas are all worth pursuing.

While it’s estimated the illegal rentals have gone from about 70 percent of those used on Mission Bay to 20 percent now, zero percent must be the goal. A manslaughter charge against the individual responsible for this tragedy — if prosecutors believe it is appropriate — would also send a needed message.