The Cuban Aviation Club (CAC) has declared a temporary moratorium on all tandem paragliding flights in the country, according to a statement posted in their Facebook group following the death of a 12-year-old boy in the Isle of Youth.
"Following the events that took place in the Isle of Youth, which resulted in the tragic death of a 12-year-old boy, and the findings of the investigation into the incident, a moratorium on tandem paragliding flights in the country is being imposed," states the text signed by the presidency of the CAC, a position held by former spy René González.
Joel Alejandro Suárez Sánchez, age 12, passed away on July 4 at MININT beach, in the Cays of Los Monos, when the parasail he was riding was swept into the sea by a wind current caused by a storm cloud that collided with the Sierra de Caballos.
The aircraft ascended abruptly to a height of about 50 meters and landed on the water approximately 500 meters from the shore. While trying to free himself from the harnesses in the water, the pilot lost control of the minor, who disappeared before he could be rescued. The body was located after many hours of searching.
The joint investigation by the CAC and the Cuban Institute of Civil Aviation revealed serious irregularities: the flight was part of an unauthorized commercial operation that charged 3,000 Cuban pesos per person without permission from the Ministry of Tourism.
The pilot, despite being experienced as an athlete, lacked certification as a tandem pilot and authorization for commercial flights.
The required documents were also not completed, nor was valid informed consent obtained from the minor's family members.
The investigative committee also emphasized that life jackets were not used, even though their use is mandatory according to Cuban Aeronautical Regulations for operations close to the coast, and that their use could have saved the child's life.
The moratorium does not apply to individual sports flights, which will continue normally throughout the national territory. The exception is the Isle of Youth, where all free flight activities are suspended.
The CAC also announced the convening of a conference with the free flight community to discuss the findings of the investigation.
"We will proceed to convene, as soon as possible, a conference with the free flight community in order to analyze the elements that emerged during the investigation of the incident, and to collectively find ways to prevent such occurrences from happening again in Cuba," states the statement signed by González.
The statement expressed its intention to resume tandem flights "as soon as possible," appealing to the sense of responsibility among practitioners and urging them to submit proposals to ensure "an environment of discipline and safety for everyone, whether practitioners or not."
The management of the accident by the president of the CAC, René González, sparked controversy.
González stated on Facebook that it was "the first fatality of the CAC in 15 years, during which 60,000 tandem skydives have been made."
However, that version was publicly denied by the aeronautics community, which documented at least four deaths in Cuban air sports between 2022 and 2023.
Among the recorded cases are Fabián Batista Hidalgo (paragliding, Santiago de Cuba, December 2022), Raidel Cobas (skydiving, Varadero, March 2023), Miladis Ríos Góngora (parachute that did not open, August 2023), and Edelio Varona Pino (paragliding, Canasí, December 2023).
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