Two Recent Deaths Blamed on New Water Sport, Tube Kiting

July 2006

There’s a new water sport at the top of the danger list—“tube kiting.” The U.S.Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers about the potential dangers associated with this new type of water recreation.

An extreme water sport quickly growing in popularity, tube kiting is associated with at least two deaths this year alone. A 33-year-old Texas man was killed in late April while tube kiting, and a 42-year-old man died from injuries associated with tube kiting on June in Wisconsin.

Another 12 serious injuries have been associated with tube kiting this year. The injuries include a broken neck, punctured lung, broken ribs, broken femur, chest and back injuries, and facial injuries, such as jaw fractures. A 14-year-old girl lost consciousness when her tube kite fell about 15 feet and struck the water.

Possible reasons for incidents and injuries include:

• Rider's difficulty in controlling the tube
• Boat operator inexperience
• How the tube reacts in certain weather conditions

The CPSC is currently investigating two versions of these products to determine if there is a significant product hazard. Tube kites are very large, sometimes round, inflatable water devices that can be more than 10 feet in diameter. The tube is hooked to the back of a boat by a tow rope, and the tube rider pulls back on a rope as the boat travels at speeds between 25 and 35 miles per hour. The ride begins when the tube is lifted into the air trailing the boat.

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