Travelers Should Be Aware Of The US Embassy's Warning About Renting Jet Skis In This Caribbean Paradise

If you're planning on vacationing in the Bahamas, the U.S. Government would like you to reconsider renting a jet ski. On June 15, 2026, the U.S. Embassy in Nassau issued an official security alert warning travelers about jet ski operators in the Bahamas. A video with Ambassador Herschel Walker accompanied this announcement. "We've lost American lives to preventable accidents. Multiple visitors have been hospitalized. Americans have also been sexually assaulted by jet ski operators," Walker stated in the video.

In the summer of 2025, CBS News reported that an American man died in the Bahamas in a jet ski accident. Around the same time, the Royal Bahamas Police Force reported that a female from the U.S. had been the victim of a sexual assault. The U.S. Embassy in Nassau claims that, since August 2024, six U.S. travelers have been rushed to the hospital, including three who were evacuated to the United States. The Embassy also says that seven American women have reported sexual assaults by jet ski operators in 2024, 2025, and 2026. The U.S. Government has even banned its employees based in the Bahamas from jet skiing on Paradise Island and New Providence Island, which includes Nassau, a more dangerous vacation destination than you might think.

This is not the first time the Trump administration has had a contentious relationship with the Bahamas. During his first term in 2019, Donald Trump made negative statements about people entering the United States from the Bahamas. In 2024 (per Al Jazeera), then-President-elect Trump asked Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis if the country would accept deported migrants from the United States, which Davis "firmly rejected."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)

Any accident or assault is tragic, but the government's warning does not necessarily mean you have to skip your Bahamas vacation or even renting a jet ski. DoVisa reported that there were around 12.5 million U.S. visitors to the Bahamas in 2025, after all. Plus, the Embassy reports that local businesses and authorities are committed to helping keep travelers safe, with better jet ski regulations and enforcement.

Jet ski operators can no longer legally ride with guests. This regulation was passed in March 2026 by multiple agencies, including the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Royal Bahamas Defence Force, and the U.S. Embassy. "If an operator rides with a guest, it cracks the door for unwanted sexual misconduct, so in order to mitigate or limit that, at no time should an operator be riding with a guest for no reason," acting port controller senior commander Berne Wright said to Bahamian newspaper The Tribune. Other changes have cracked down on operational requirements for jet skis: you can use them no closer than 200 feet from shore, operators must hold a Class D license, and valid registrations need to be clearly displayed for all watercraft. An updated code of conduct also means operators must wear IDs and company uniform shirts, as well as be properly registered with authorities.

Travelers should also be diligent when identifying legitimate jet ski operators. Look for trust markers, such as registrations, licenses, uniforms, and proper safety procedures and equipment. Nassau was crowned the ultimate destination for boating adventures, but it's essential to practice caution. The U.S. Embassy also recommends being wary of unregulated "jet ski operators near the Cruise Port, Junkanoo Beach, and Arawak Cay, and the small islands east of Paradise Island." You could also go somewhere less touristic in the Bahamas, such as the Berry Islands, which have world-class fishing and uncrowded beaches.