A devastating jet ski collision at Pigeon Point Heritage Park in Tobago that claimed the life of 7-year-old Angelica Jogie on April 8 has now moved toward potential litigation, with the young girl’s family issuing a formal pre-action protocol letter to hold three parties accountable for the tragedy.
Represented by Freedom Law Chambers, led by senior counsel Anand Ramlogan, the family’s legal filing names the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), Pigeon Point Heritage Park Ltd, and the involved jet ski operator as proposed defendants. The claim is brought on behalf of Angelica’s parents Salisha Anita Narine-Jogie and Arnold Jogie, her surviving sister Angelina Jogie, and the estate of the deceased child.
According to details outlined in the July 15-dated letter, the family was wading and bathing in a clearly marked designated swimming area at the popular coastal park when the rogue jet ski allegedly entered the restricted zone and struck multiple family members. Angelica suffered severe multiple traumatic injuries from the impact and could not be saved, a finding confirmed by her official death certificate cited in the legal document. Both of Angelica’s parents sustained physical injuries in the collision, while 10-year-old Angelina was forced to watch the entire horrific incident and its fatal outcome unfold firsthand.
Angelica’s legal team alleges the jet ski operator committed multiple acts of negligence: the operator failed to maintain proper control of the watercraft, did not exercise reasonable care while operating near the beach, intentionally entered an area reserved for swimmers, and did not take evasive action to avoid hitting members of the public lawfully enjoying the beach.
Beyond the operator’s actions, the filing argues that systemic failure by public and park management authorities created the dangerous conditions that allowed the crash to occur. The THA and Pigeon Point Heritage Park Ltd hold formal responsibility for the management, safety oversight, and regulation of all water-based activities at the site, including jet ski operations. The family alleges that neither entity implemented, maintained, nor enforced basic adequate safety protocols to protect beachgoers from the known risks of unregulated jet ski activity.
Notably, the letter highlights that authorities were aware of these hazards for more than a decade before the 2024 fatal collision. As early as 2015, local records showed at least five serious jet ski accidents had been reported in south-west Tobago, sparking consistent public complaints and policy discussions about the danger jet skis posed to swimmers. In response to these concerns, the THA appointed a special task force that drafted a formal Jet Ski Policy and Regulations framework in 2017.
That 2017 draft policy explicitly recognized the lethal risk of jet skis operating close to bathing areas, and put forward a series of evidence-based safety recommendations: these included a mandatory 300-foot exclusion zone for jet skis around all areas used by swimmers, snorkelers and divers; the creation of clearly marked separate operating zones for watercraft; mandatory operator licensing; coordinated enforcement by police, the Coast Guard and fisheries officials; and financial penalties for operators that violated the rules. The policy also required all jet ski activity to be confined exclusively to designated operating areas.
Despite having this risk assessment and regulatory roadmap in place for seven years before Angelica’s death, no action was taken to implement or enforce these critical protective measures, the family’s legal team argues. This long-standing failure to act allowed a known dangerous situation to persist, directly creating the conditions that led to the young girl’s death.
The legal filing also raises serious concerns about the delayed emergency response after the collision. The family faced an unreasonably long wait for an ambulance to arrive at the scene, a delay that exacerbated the pain and suffering Angelica endured before her death, according to the claim.
The long-term trauma of the incident has devastated every member of the Jogie family, the letter details. Salisha Narine-Jogie has been diagnosed with a recognized psychiatric injury and sustained nervous shock from witnessing her daughter’s fatal collision. Arnold Jogie suffered lasting physical impairments from his own injuries in the crash and has also endured severe ongoing psychological trauma following his daughter’s death. Angelina, the surviving sister, has experienced significant emotional and behavioural changes since losing her sibling, and the entire family’s daily routine, interpersonal relationships, and overall quality of life have been permanently upended.
Both parents were forced to miss extended periods of work after the tragedy: Salisha was out of employment for six weeks, while Arnold could not work for 35 days. The family is seeking a wide range of damages to compensate for their harm, including compensation for personal injuries, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, nervous shock, psychiatric harm, past and future lost earnings, and reduced earning capacity. They are also claiming special damages to cover out-of-pocket costs for medical treatment, transportation, and ongoing counselling and mental health care.
On behalf of Angelica’s estate, the family is additionally pursuing damages for the child’s loss of expectation of life and lost future earnings over her entire expected lifespan. The claim also calls for aggravated and exemplary damages, arguing that the defendants’ conduct showed a blatant disregard for the safety of children and families using the public beach facility.
The pre-action letter requires all named defendants to issue a formal position on liability and enter into good faith settlement discussions within a set timeframe. Freedom Law Chambers has notified that if no substantive response is received within 28 days of the letter’s delivery, full High Court civil proceedings will be launched without additional warning.
As of press time, attempts to contact THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine for comment on the impending litigation were unsuccessful. Local law enforcement confirms that its criminal investigation into Angelica’s death is nearing completion. Investigators are scheduled to meet with Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, SC, this week to receive guidance on what criminal charges, if any, will be filed in connection with the tragedy.