By Johnny Commansingh
How would you feel if your sweet and precious seven-year-old child was runover by a jet ski and killed in the ocean? This probably sounds like a rhetorical question, but the truth is that the life of Angelica Saydeee Jogie, a beautiful child from Barrackpore, Trinidad, was recently shattered by a careless, possibly lawless and stupid jet ski rider at the Pigeon Point Beach in Tobago. To top it off, the jet ski rider ran away from the scene. However, he was later apprehended by the police.
I could only imagine the pain, the loss, the sadness and hurt that her parents and relatives are now suffering. Angelica is gone, never to return. Her little sister is probably wondering what happened to her. What was that jet ski rider doing in the area that was cordoned off for sea bathers? What was he doing there!!! Gallerying (showing off)?
Look at what Quamina Payne said in his article titled ‘THA issues fresh jet ski warning for Pigeon Point, Buccoo’ published 11/04/2026 in the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian:
“The Tobago House of Assembly’s Division of Environment, Climate Resilience and Energy today issued a public notice reminding operators that jet skis and personal watercraft are not allowed in Pigeon Point Heritage Park, Buccoo Reef Marine Park, Buccoo Beach and nearshore areas. The notice expands on comments made on Thursday by chief secretary Farley Augustine, who said jet skis were not allowed in the marine park following the death of seven-year-old Angelica Saydee Jogie. Today’s notice is the first formal public reminder to specifically include Buccoo Beach and nearby coastal areas. The restriction applies to all operators, both commercial and private. The notice also stated that all marine activities, including reef tours, snorkelling, diving and glass-bottom boat operations, require written approval.
The announcement comes days after Angelica was struck by a jet ski while inside a designated bathing area at Pigeon Point, Tobago, where she had been spending the Easter holidays with her family.”
Pigeon Point Beach is one of the most loved beaches in Tobago. Nevertheless, historical records have shown that there is something dangerous and life-threatening in the area at intervals.
Look at a section of my 2004 article ‘The Nasty Side of Tourism Development: an Example from Trinidad and Tobago’ published in the e-Review of Tourism Research (Vol. 2, No. 1):
“Trinidad and Tobago is in the embryonic stage of the tourism industry when compared to its other Caribbean neighbours…In view of this, the majority of nationals of the twin-island state take many things for granted with respect to beach and hotel development…Observations in certain Caribbean tourist spots such as Tobago, Grenada, Saint Vincent, and Barbados, show that locals appear to be in very subservient positions within the tourism industry…Many locals would even give up their places on certain beaches because of tourists.
It is agreed upon that without tourism many Caribbean states would go “belly-up”, but it does not mean that any native of any particular island should be made less of a human being, even to the point of being shot to death in his/her own territory… Who would like to find their child lying dead on one of Tobago’s finest beaches? One does not have to go far for an answer. Naomi Elliot found her son fatally shot on Pigeon Point Beach, Tobago. Shot to death by a security guard was boat- cleaner and straw-hat maker, Michael Theophilus Melville. The Pigeon Point Beach Club, owned and operated by the ANSA/McAl Group of Companies employed the security guard. The problem arose because the Pigeon Point Beach Club denied citizens their right-of-passage to the beach…
The killing of Melville is just one of the many incidents involved in the gestation period of tourism development in Trinidad and Tobago. The dispossession of Tobagonians in their own island has been a long-standing problem, even before the Pigeon Point Club development issue. “I meet him lying down in the sand, you know, in the sand, in the sand there cover up. It hurt me to see that. For what? Nothing!” These were the words of his mother, Naomi Elliot. Mingled with Naomi Elliot’s anger was grief when she viewed the body of her dead son on the beach.”
I am also sad and hurt, but more angry at what passes for tourism in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T). Stephen Covey in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People mentioned that the first habit is to be proactive. In my opinion, the nature of the public notice issued by The THA’s Division of Environment, Climate Resilience and Energy is reactive; a knee-jerk partial solution to a major fundamental problem. We have to get to the real cause of an unruly situation.
It would seem that T&T is, for all intents and purposes, a “lawless dump” as espoused by Kamla Persad-Bissessar, prime minister of T&T. To simply state that it is unfortunate that this child died because of a marine accident must not be entertained. The death of this child was somewhere in the metadata concerning the mediocre plans for tourism in the sister isle. Let me be pellucid. I always remind people of the maxim: ‘If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.’ Experimenting with both domestic and foreign tourism is definitely not the approach. We must understand that tourism is about people; their lives and their limbs.
Enshrined in Machel Montano’s lyrics in his 2026 calypso ‘Gih Dem Performance’ is the phrase “…again and again and again.” I have said it before, and I am going to say again. Trinidad and Tobago is not yet ready for tourism. There must be cultural change. According to my chapter ‘Social Sustainability of Tourism in a Culture of Sensuality, Sexual Freedom and Violence: Trinidad and Tobago, published in Island Tourism: Sustainable Perspectives edited by J.Carlsen and R. Butler (2011), I mentioned that tourism was always an afterthought in T&T:
“Trinidad has never had a true history of tourism owing to its hydrocarbon-based economy and the development of the industrial sector after its independence in 1962. There was little growth, and even stagnation, in the tourism sector during 1977–1987. Moreover, there was no real need to develop a tourist industry because exploitation of petroleum and natural gas had become the economic driver. The abundance of oil and gas money engendered an anti-tourist nationalism. In fact, Eric E. Williams, the first prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, did not concentrate on the development of the tourism industry for fear that the country would breed a generation of janitors and busboys.”
When I visited Maui, Hawaii, I was taken on a boating trip to go swim with the turtles. As one who was engaged in the study of tourism as well as Hotel Restaurant Institution Management and Dietetics (HRIMD) at Kansas State University, I found myself looking closely at how guests on the trip were treated. The catamaran was moored close to the jetty. The neatly uniformed young woman who came to me took my slippers and held my hand to make sure that I boarded the vessel without incident.
After swimming with the turtles, I came up a ladder to the deck, and there was another young woman who welcomed me with a neatly folded towel. She asked if I wanted to take a shower to wash off the salt. I took the shower and sat down to be treated with food and drink. I was a guest and was treated like a guest. The workers on that boat made sure that no accidents occurred. I was not a guest who was kept guessing. It was tourism at its best!
In 2005, I published the article ‘An Apparent Solution but a Plethora of Problems’ in the e-Review of Tourism Research (Vol. 3). One of my observations was recorded as follows:
“Despite the special plans to create a better tourism product, many items that impact quality tourism development in Trinidad and Tobago are lacking. More attention should be given to safety precautions when boarding a boat for a reef tour. Tourists who wish to go on the tour have to wade out in the water at Store Bay to board the flat-bottom boat rendered unstable by the waves. It is only a matter of time before someone sustains serious damage or death.”
Angelica’s death at Pigeon Point Heritage Park is a symptom of a serious underlying cause. Something involved in the tourism planning and implementation process was not given enough attention. Monica Walker in her article ‘Tobago: Keith Rowley calls for jet ski ban after 7-year-old killed at Pigeon Point Beach’ published in WIC NEWS (10/04/2026), reported:
“The former prime minister also reflected on the conditions at the beach and expressed his concerns over the safety measures in place, especially the use of a buried rope, which is intended to separate jet skis from bathers.
He described the barrier as largely ineffective and noted that it was barely visible in the water and offered little to none real protection. He pointed out that fatalities have occurred at the location before and warned the officials that without decisive intervention, history will continue to repeat itself.
Dr Keith Rowley is now calling on the THA to intervene and put a ban on jet skis operating at or near main bathing areas at Pigeon Point. Rowley stressed that while Tobago has space for all recreational activities but clear separation is necessary to ensure public safety.”
Carolyn Kissoon in her article ‘Outrage over ‘troubling’ lack of regulations at Pigeon Point’ published in the Daily Express on 10/04/2026, wrote:
“The tragic death of seven-year-old Angelica Saydee Jogie in a jet ski incident at Pigeon Point Heritage Park on Wednesday has triggered social media outrage, with calls for stricter regulation of jet ski operators, and stronger enforcement of safety zones at Tobago beaches.
Dr Donny Samlal, a businessman and Hindu pundit, wrote to the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) yesterday, saying he was present at the beach facility and witnessed ‘troubling’ activities at the beach on Wednesday.
“This incident has caused shock and sadness, and it raises serious questions about public safety, enforcement, and the regulation of recreational activities at one of Tobago’s most visited beaches. I was present at Pigeon Point Beach close to the time of the incident, and what I observed was extremely troubling. One of the major issues was the uncontrolled use of jet skis by very young operators.”
Samlal said he observed a careless and inexperienced jet ski operator, who appeared heavily intoxicated. “It was alarming to witness such a dangerous operation of powerful equipment in an area where families and children gather for recreation.”
“The smell of cannabis was noticeable upon entering a tour boat, and some of the tour guides and operators appeared to be under the influence. This is a deeply worrying situation, as persons responsible for guiding and transporting visitors should be held to the highest standards of conduct and safety.” Samlal said, law enforcement and emergency response personnel were few at the facility.
“At a major tourism site such as Pigeon Point, especially during busy periods when many families travel to Tobago for recreation and upliftment, there should be clear systems in place for monitoring, regulation, and immediate emergency intervention. The absence of visible control and prompt response only increases the risk of further tragedy.”
Whether or not the information presented here is accepted, as with everything else, “Yuh cyar play mas and ‘fraid powder.” If Trinidad and Tobago wants to be engaged in the tourism industry, then there is something that all planners should take note of: “Do it right or don’t do it at all.” Haphazard planning and mediocre implementation just would not cut it. In terms of the tourism industry, I am of the view that Trinidad and Tobago is not yet ready; not even close.