Bending the rules like Beckham? Posh and David look on as under-age Harper drives powerful jet-ski off Florida coast
THRASHING through the waves on a jet-ski, Harper Beckham was clearly enjoying her luxurious Florida holiday.
Our exclusive pictures show the 11-year-old at the controls of the powerful machine off the island of Key Biscayne, where she and her family were relaxing aboard their £5million yacht.
But her joyride could land her parents David and Victoria with a fine, or even 12 months in jail, after it emerged the state’s laws prohibit anyone under 14 riding a jet-ski.
Harper, who was wearing a black lifejacket, was accompanied by an unknown woman older than her.
At the time, her parents were on their yacht – named Seven, after the footballer’s England shirt number – enjoying drinks with their son Romeo, 19.
A little while later, the same jetski capsized with four on board.
A rescue line had to be thrown out from the yacht to help bring them back in from the sea while a concerned David and Victoria looked on. It is understood Harper was not at the controls at the time.
Last night, a local water protection agency branded the couple ‘reckless’ for allowing their young daughter to drive the jet-ski.
A spokesman for Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said: ‘It is reckless to knowingly allow an under-age child to ride a jet-ski on a public waterway.
‘It’s very simple – the law prohibits it.
‘Sand bars are busy with boaters and swimmers, and their safety is our number one goal. If one of our officers spotted what looked to be an under-age child operating a watercraft they would be spoken to, as would their parents or guardian if they were nearby and aware of the activity.’
A source close to the Beckhams said Harper and her siblings had been around boats their whole lives, and played down the incident.
‘The situation was very managed, David and Victoria are very responsible people,’ they said.
Last month, Harper was seen driving another jet-ski on the French Riviera where the law does allow youngsters to ride the vessels.
The Beckhams have now finished their holiday and are living in Florida, where David’s football team Inter Miami are playing in the US soccer league.
On Friday night, the family – along with their youngest son Cruz, 17 – attended the opening of Gekko restaurant, which is owned by their friend David Grutman.
The Beckhams have recently returned to Miami after a lavish month-long holiday around Europe. They spent the summer aboard a £22million yacht, stopping off in Sardinia, Croatia, Saint Tropez and the Amalfi Coast.
The couple were joined by Harper, Cruz and Cruz’s new girlfriend Tana Holding for the extravaganza, which they recorded on Instagram.
During their stop-off in Saint Tropez, Victoria was filmed by her husband belting out the 1997 Spice Girls hit Stop from the group’s album Spiceworld.