Usher Stepson Kile Glover Dies After Jet Ski Crash Accident

On Saturday, Usher's 11-year-old stepson Kile Glover died from heart failure after a traumatic head-injury sustained during a Jet Ski accident. Glover was declared brain dead on July 8 following the initial accident. Kyle was struck in the head by a passing personal watercraft while riding on an inner tube on Lake Lanier in Atlanta. Usher arrived in the evening to be by his ex wife’s side. Unlike a coma, brain death is irreversible and patients have no neurological signs.

This accident has once again highlighted the dangers presented by personal watercrafts. Last year, singer Sean Kingston hit a bridge in Miami while operating a Jet Ski, which sent him directly to the hospital. In 1995, a man driving a Jet Ski was killed by a motorboat carrying Gloria Estefan and her husband.There are countless cases of injuries or deaths of non-celebrities on these vehicles. 

All these accidents suggest that people should be required to obtain a license in order to operate this popular watercraft, or at least drivers should be forced to undergo a certain kind of training. While the thrill of traveling at high speeds out at sea might seem alluring, fun, and enlivening, operating a Jet Ski with little or no experience can cause deaths or lifetime damage, and that’s exactly why they must be strictly controlled.

Jet Skis provide the same type of thrill as riding a motorcycle. The key difference is that personal watercraft don't have a braking mechanism, or the ability to turn. When the throttle is off, the Jet Ski closely resembles a car sliding on ice, because it can’t stop or turn and the driver has no control. Inexperienced jet skiers may easily lose control of the vehicle if something unforeseen happens.

The fact that personal watercrafts are easy for people to own and operate in the open sea raises the question: Are Jet Skies are safe enough to be so easily purchased and used? They are cheaper than full-size boats and are therefore available to more people for use. But they are just as dangerous (if not more) as other vehicles in and out of the water, which is why they must be  strictly controlled.