Tourist critical after parasail accident

CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla. - A Georgia woman remained in critical condition Monday after a freak parasailing accident Sunday afternoon.

The tow line connecting a boat to the parasail apparatus carrying Alejandra White, 27, and her fiancé, Shaun Ladd, apparently broke and witnesses say the parasail went flying toward the beach.

The parasail reportedly crashed into several umbrellas before wrapping around a volleyball pole near Pier 60. White is believed to have slammed right into that pole.

White was taken to Bayfront Medical Center where she remained in critical condition late Monday, a hosptial spokesperson said. Ladd was treated for minor injuries.

The Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife officers are working to figure out why the tow line connecting the parasail to the boat snapped..

Witnesses on the beach said at the time of the accident, the weather was starting to turn windy and somewhat stormy.

"The weather was getting bad, my wife and I were just sitting, relaxing, and we saw this parachute coming right for us from the parasail," one witness said.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has been sending extra patrol boats out on the water throughout Labor Day weekend to spot any potential dangers.

Marine patrol officers say one of the leading causes of boating accidents in Florida is that the boaters simply do not appreciate just how quickly the weather can change, potentially leaving them stranded away from shore.

Video report from MyFoxTampa.com:

Information from MyFoxTampaBay.com