Key West Injury Lawyer Blog
Police in Sarasota flagged down a young boy who was operating a jet ski by himself in June, resulting in legal trouble for his parents and a hot debate online.
“That’s right, you have to be 14 in the state of Florida,” Ron Dixon, the officer with the Sarasota Police Marine Patrol Unit who was involved, later told a reporter with Fox 13 Tampa Bay News.
The incident occurred on Sunday, June 14, in the waters of Big Pass when the officer, who was out on the water on his own vessel, flagged down the 8-year-old operator. In bodycam footage of the event, the minor can be seen approaching the officer’s boat wearing a life jacket.
“Where’s your parents?” the officer can be heard asking of the boy in the video. “Over here? OK, can you take me to them?”
The boy’s father, who was allegedly at a nearby beach at the time watching his son from the shore, faces misdemeanor charges. When speaking with the officers, the boy’s father said his son has operated jet skis “for the last few years” and is “very proficient.”
The video has gained traction online with social media users flocking to weigh in on the situation in the comments section.
One user joked that the child likely “operates it better than most adults though.”
Another user agreed but pointed out the glaring dangers associated with allowing children to operate such vessels unsupervised.
“You’re probably pretty accurate about that, however, if that child had’ve gotten hurt or killed or hurt and killed someone else things would be a lot different!” they wrote. “There’s laws for a reason! Definitely not safe!”
Other users posed questions about age requirements and safety while more commented about other machines often operated by children in the state.
“I’d argue if the police let him ride to his parents, then it’s not so unsafe it warrants a ticket tho,” one user commented.
Another wrote: “But kids can ride dirt bikes, golf carts, ATVS.”
“I didn’t honestly know there was an age require4ment,” one user said. “I see children on these all the time.”
With 50 years of experience representing individuals and grieving families throughout Florida, Leesfield & Partners understands that accidents can happen at any time and to anyone. Though they are often underestimated and rented out to beginners, jet skis and personal watercrafts take a considerable amount of upper arm strength to maneuver through currents and choppy waters.
In an article discussing such crashes, Partner Justin B. Shapiro explained that no other water-related activity produces more injuries than jet ski crashes. The reason is twofold — not enough people are prepared for the sheer strength needed to maneuver these watercrafts through the waves and, though they are marketed as “beginner friendly,” the reality is starkly different.
“As the summer months yield their inevitable slew of injuries, prospective renters should be aware of the life-threatening dangers of jet skis, and their attorneys should be intimately familiar with the many regulations that were enacted to keep them safe,” he said.
State Law
Unlike Florida’s general boating laws, which do not establish a minimum age to operate most vessels, those wanting to operate a jet ski or personal watercraft must be at least 14 years old. To rent these machines from one of the many personal watercraft rental companies peppering Florida’s beaches, operators must be at least 18 years old.
Whether you are a rider, operator, or being towed by a personal watercraft, you must be wearing an approved, non-inflatable personal flotation device (PFD). Inflatable flotation devices are prohibited for personal watercraft use.
Those who knowingly allow a minor under 14 years old to operate a personal watercraft can be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor. The maximum penalties for a second-degree misdemeanor of this sort include up to 60 days in jail, up to six months of probation, and/or a fine of up to $500.
Leesfield & Partners: Promoting Boating Safety Throughout the Florida Keys
In five decades of personal injury practice, our attorneys know how quickly a seemingly routine day on the water can become a family’s worst nightmare. From reckless boating to drinking on the water, these incidents have devastating and long-lasting consequences for the clients and families that we serve.
Monroe County, where Leesfield & Partners has operated an office since at least the 1980s, was the area in the state that recorded the most boating accidents in 2025. The Florida Keys reported 72 accidents and one death, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s annual boating statistical report. At least 56 people were injured in these incidents.
In all, there were 694 reportable Florida boating accidents with 51 deaths and 437 injuries. FWC officials reported that more than half (67%) of boaters involved in fatal accidents had no formal boater’s education.
With Fourth of July festivities well under way, there will likely be an influx of swimmers and vessels on the water. This will range from canoers and paddleboarders to sailboats, jet skis, and motorboats. Leesfield & Partners encourages all boaters and swimmers to prioritize safety while enjoying the holiday on the water.
Previous Jet Ski Cases
Over the last several years, Leesfield & Partners has secured well over $10 million in combined verdicts and settlements stemming from jet ski injury cases. Whether it be from crashes with other vessels on the water, fixed objects or other jet skiers, Leesfield & Partners has seen just about every instance of jet ski injury that can occur. These injuries often have tragic and permanent results, impacting every aspect of our client’s lives from future earning capabilities to the participation in everyday life.
In one jet ski case, also handled by Mr. Shapiro, the firm represented a family visiting Key West from California. As one of the activities planned during their vacation, the family booked a guided jet ski tour. During the excursion, however, the guides meant to watch over and help the family navigate both the water and the personal watercrafts, routinely sped away from the family and failed to warn them about known hazards in the area.
When the family was led under a narrow bridge, they were given no warning or instructions and the father was significantly injured in a crash as a result.
In a case that caused the death of a woman on the water, Leesfield & Partners obtained $2.8 million for the woman’s family. The rental company in that case failed to ensure that all of their customers understood their safety briefing and general instructions the day of the crash. A French-speaking tourist eventually crashed into the woman, causing her fatal injuries.
The firm previously handled a jet ski case in which attorneys secured $1.6 million for the injured client.
In a crash involving a jet ski and a boat, the firm secured $935,000 for the injured client.
Previous Boating Cases
Previously, the firm secured a substantial settlement in a case involving a minor who lost a leg while not being supervised on a vessel.
The firm previously handled the case of a family whose young son was snorkeling when he was hit and killed by a passing boater. The boater in that case was also a minor who should never have been given permission to operate the vessel without supervision. Not only did this minor not stop, but he attempted to cover up evidence and lied to police when questioned.
Neighbors later testified that this minor regularly operated the boat in a reckless manner.
The firm represented the family of a young woman, 20, who tragically died when the vessel she was on crashed into a concrete dock. The firm secured over $1.3 million for the family when it was revealed that the boat operator had been drinking and speeding the night of the crash.
In a boat case involving a foreign resort, the firm secured an $800,000 recovery for the injured client.
Another boating accident involving a negligent operator resulted in a $500,000 recovery.
The firm represented the widow of a man who drowned while on a boat tour at the Dry Tortugas National Park. The company’s tour guides instructed the man where he should go to snorkel and, within minutes, his body was found unresponsive.
The firm secured a six-figure recovery in that case.
Bernardo Pimentel II, a Trial Attorney at the firm, represented the family of a young man and father-to-be who was lobster diving when he was killed by a law enforcement officer who negligently failed to adhere to divers-down flag laws.
Leesfield & Partners’ Ongoing Boating Injury Cases
Leesfield & Partners attorneys handle numerous tragic and preventable boating cases every year. Mr. Shapiro and Evan Robinson, a Trial Attorney at the firm, are representing a teen who suffered a traumatic brain injury as the result of a water tubing accident.
Mr. Shapiro and Trial Attorney Eric Shane are representing a young girl who was enrolled in a South Florida summer camp when her leg was sliced by a boat propeller.
Leesfield & Partners is also representing those affected by the tragic sailboat-barge crash in Miami on July 28, including 13-year-old Erin Ko, who tragically died, and 7-year-old Calena Areyan Gruber, who survived.
That case is being handled by Mr. Shapiro and Mr. Pimentel.
Safety Tips
This is not an exhaustive list. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, consult your local emergency agencies and the FWC.
- Never drink and boat.
- Never go out boating without telling someone what area you are headed to and when they can expect you to be back. This is so that, in case of an emergency, someone will know that you did not return and can give rescue teams an area to begin searching for you.
- Take a boating education course
- Carry life vests approved by the Coast Guard for every person on board. Children should wear a life vest at all times when on a boat.
- Take advantage of free annual boat inspections offered by the U.S. Coast Guard.
- Keep necessary emergency kits on board that include essential items like flare guns, fire extinguishers and first-aid kits.
- Never let children operate a personal watercraft.
If you or a loved one was involved in an accident on Florida waters, don’t wait. Call a Leesfield & Partners attorney today at 305-854-4900 to see if you may be eligible to make a claim.
