Astronaut Alan Poindexter's accident made national headlines this month: the 50-year-old man died in a collision between water scooters in Pensacola, Fla.
Such accidents are relatively rare and aren't on the rise, but tragedies like it resonate with the public.
Experts are increasing efforts to warn people about the danger of personal high-speed water vehicles.
The latest figures available from the Coast Guard show 808 personal-watercraft-related injuries or deaths in 2011 and 814 in 2010.
Blair Holliday, a sophomore wide receiver at Duke University, suffered head injuries while jet skiing on July 4 and is in critical condition.
And in June, 16-year-old Savannah Cayce died from injuries she received when the inner tube she was riding on was struck by a personal watercraft in Juneau, Alaska.
Organizations such as the Personal Watercraft Industry Association (PWIA) are pushing for increased education and safety requirements for those riding the more than 1.29million jet-propelled watercrafts registered across the nation.
"It's simply because we feel that it is important that these vessels be operated safely," PWIA Executive Director David Dickerson said. "They are unique. They require a certain level of judgment and expertise."
The PWIA, which represents manufacturers of personal watercraft, is urging states to adopt laws including minimum operator age of 16, mandatory education, mandatory life-jacket wear and other safety requirements, Dickerson said.
"As with any sport, if you are not safe, then accidents can happen," Dickerson said. "There is quite a bit of safety that is in place already but it's a patchwork; it varies by state."
In Virginia as of July 1, all personal-watercraft operators, regardless of age, must complete a six- to eight-hour course, said Tom Guess, state boating safety program manager.
Virginia is one of 44 states that require some form of mandatory education, with Texas being the most recent to pass legislation last September, said Ron Sarver, deputy director for the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators.
Seven states, including Washington, Oregon and New Hampshire, require boating education for all boaters, Sarver said.
Some high schools, especially in regions close to water, require students to take boating classes, he said. "We realized that in some states, they will just throw you the keys if you have the money to pay to ride, which really is not safe," Sarver said.
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