Gaetz says not enough oversight on parasailing

PANAMA CITY — Though state Senate President Don Gaetz said Monday he’s “anti-regulation,” he feels there’s a legitimate case for greater oversight of the parasailing industry in Florida.

State Rep. Jimmy Patronis takes the opposite view and is confident the parasailing industry will regulate itself in light of the July 1 accident at Panama City Beach, which hospitalized two 17-year-old girls.

Gaetz, R-Niceville, wasn’t a full-blown cheerleader for increased regulation, though, only giving tepid support for the idea and indicating he has an interest in the issue.

“I think that we don’t have enough oversight now, and I agree with those in the parasailing industry — and with those who have real public safety concerns — that we need to do a better job,” he said.

How these concerns are addressed remains to be seen and depends on what bills are filed for the 2014 legislative session.

“Whether the emphasis needs to be placed on insurance or on training or on specific safety precautions, I think that’s what the legislative process is for,” Gaetz said, “but I never commit to a bill until I see it. And right now there’s not a bill.”

The situation could be viewed as precarious for Gaetz, who generally is no fan of increased oversight on private industry.

Last session, House and Senate parasailing regulation bills were filed — both by democrats — and barely moved at all.

“I am anti-regulation,” Gaetz said Monday, adding he’s worked on legislation that’s eliminated “hundreds and hundreds" of regulations at the state level.

But parasailing oversight is now a “very vivid issue” for Northwest Florida, following the accident earlier this month, Gaetz said.

On July 1, the line, which connected the girls’ parasail to the boat, snapped sending them adrift, and they eventually slammed into a condo building. The incident quickly energized interest in the parasailing bills.

Now the issue has the Senate president’s ear, and he decides what bills are voted on the Senate floor.

Gaetz also said he’s met with Northwest Florida parasailing industry representatives, which believe oversight and training are needed.

Such training would help ensure operators know how to be safe and what precautions to take, Gaetz said. He’s encouraged them to meeting with state Sen. Maria Sachs, a South Florida democrat who ran the Senate version of the parasailing bill last session.

 “When you have serious injuries, and you have leaders of the industry coming forward saying, ‘We really need to have a better approach to oversight of our own industry, a better approach to training,’ and you have other incidents around the state, it’s worthy of legislative consideration,” Gaetz said.

Patronis, however, views the issue in terms of personal responsibility and believes customers are aware of the inherent dangers when they parasail.

“There are incidents and accidents and risks that happen anytime somebody puts on a parachute, in any type of conditions,” Patronis said. “There’s nobody forcing an individual to ride a parasail. There’s nobody forcing them to engage in that activity.”

Patronis, R-Panama City, said he’s “reluctant” to advocate for regulations on an industry where customer choice already dictates whether someone takes that risk. He acknowledged the accident, but said the industry will be “self-correcting” in light of the incident.

There also will be lawsuits from this accident, which will push the industry toward better practices.

“And lawsuits will correct … poor judgment,” Patronis said.

Every year, it seems like there’s clamoring for legislation to regulate some industry — jet skis, tractors or trucks, Patronis said.

“I’m not for trying to create the reach of government in anybody’s life,” he said.

Patronis hasn’t completely made his mind up, though, on all forms of parasailing regulation.

“If, you know, findings come out in an investigation that … this could have been averted by some type of standardized policy, then I’ll be willing to listen to the debate. That’s for sure,” he said.