A New Zealand woman has died after standing too close behind an airliner taking off in Sint Maarten, part of the island of Saint Martin, in the Caribbean, according to local reports.
The 57-year-old tourist was standing with others at a fence bordering Princess Juliana International Airport, near Maho Beach - a popular activity for people seeking the thrill of a jet blast.
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Tourists and thrill-seekers flock to Maho Beach on the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten to watch planes skim over their heads before touching down at the airport.
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Low-flying plane stuns beachgoers
Tourists and thrill-seekers flock to Maho Beach on the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten to watch planes skim over their heads before touching down at the airport.
It is common to see onlookers hanging from the fence, despite large warning signs written in English and French.
The woman was tossed from the fence onto a concrete pavement as a Boeing 737 bound for Trinidad took off. She later died from her injuries.
A police report said the incident happened about 6pm on Wednesday, local time.
A police spokesman told The Washington Post that it was the first such fatality to his knowledge, though there have been injuries in the past as a result of people trying to stand in the jet blast while clinging to the fence.
The police statement acknowledged that watching planes take off and land at the airport is "well known worldwide as a major tourist attraction" but notes that doing so is extremely dangerous.
Airport and local officials have placed signs along the airport's chain-link fence, warning them of the dangers of standing there while a plane is taking off, and officers patrol the area during busy hours, police said.
The director of tourism for the island of Saint Maarten, Rolando Brison, says he had spoken to the family of the victim.
"I met with the family of the deceased this evening and while they recognised that what they did was wrong, through the clearly visible danger signs, they regret that risk they took turned out in the worst possible way," Mr Brison told the New Zealand Herald.
"At this time I only wish to express my deepest sympathy to the family and loved ones while we continue to investigate what transpired just hours ago."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was following up on the reports.
Despite the warnings, the area remains a huge tourist draw for thrill-seekers and aviation enthusiasts. Numerous videos on YouTube show beachgoers - many still in their swimsuits - lined up along a chain-link fence at the end of the airport's runway as a plane prepares to take off.
Danger sign located across from Maho Beach near Princess Juliana airport #travel #travelblogger #wanderlust #beach #Caribbean #cruise pic.twitter.com/RBRYe5IDiv
— InRandomOrder (@inrandomorder) January 24, 2017
The sheer force of the blasts from these jet engines can be seen blowing loose shoes, beach towels and sand straight back into the clear blue waters of the Caribbean behind them. Even those who cling to the fence can have a hard time holding on.
In 2012, two tourists were injured outside the airport after the force of a jet-engine blast blew them away. In one viral video of the incident, a girl can be seen being overpowered by a gust of wind, which slams her headfirst into a low concrete wall behind her.
There are signs at the airport warning of the dangers of standing too close to the fence.
Airport spokesman Damien Schmidt only confirmed that a woman had died on Wednesday "as a result of injuries sustained during an unfortunate accident while an aircraft took off".
"Further investigation by the local authorities will have to show what exactly took place; for now we cannot express enough our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of the deceased," he said in a statement.
Stuff.co.nz, The Washington Post