Jet Ski Speeding Prosecution Collapses Over Gaps In Evidence Regarding Shoreline Boundary

By Alric Lindsay

A maritime safety prosecution was abruptly dropped today, September 15, 2026, after Crown Counsel from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions conceded critical evidentiary shortcomings in establishing the distance of a jet-ski from shoreline boundaries.

The case involves a man who was summoned to the Summary Court to face a charge of allegedly operating a marine vessel at a speed exceeding 5 knots within the restricted 200-yard zone of the shoreline near Governors Creek.

The Chief Magistrate queried what evidence the Cayman Islands Coast Guard had to legally prove exact distances from the shoreline in maritime navigation cases, including the existence of a map or video.  She indicated the importance of establishing other facts, including the time of day and whether there were other members of the public in the vicinity who could have been in danger.

Facing insurmountable difficulties in proving the precise spatial boundaries required by the charge, DPP Crown Counsel said he could ask for the case to be adjourned and get statement from the Coast Guard; however, he was of the view that would not be of public interest. In the circumstances, DPP Crown Counsel formally offered no evidence and withdrew the matter entirely. Chief Magistrate Hernandez immediately discharged the defendant, bringing the proceedings to a close.