A 25-year-old American tourist from Ohio is speaking out about a violent alleged assault that left her injured and uncertain about ever returning to The Bahamas, a popular Caribbean travel destination that has faced repeated questions over tourist safety in its unregulated beach tourism sector.
Briana Bazel and her best friend had traveled to New Providence for what was supposed to be a celebratory first trip to The Bahamas – and the friend’s first journey outside the United States. The pair had pre-booked a jet ski excursion online before leaving the U.S., but their planned activity was canceled just two hours after they arrived on the island on September 10. Stranded without their planned activity, the women were waiting at Goodman’s Bay on September 11 when a man approached them, introducing himself as a licensed jet ski operator and tour guide. He offered the pair a package combining jet ski rides and island sightseeing, and even connected them with his cousin to act as their private taxi driver.
Bazel claims the man and his cousin showed official-looking badges to convince the women they were legitimate, though she now doubts the credentials were authentic. For most of the day, the outing proceeded without incident: the group went sightseeing, stopped at local restaurants, and completed the jet ski ride as promised. Later that evening, the two women ran into the men again at the Green Parrot venue, and the group accepted an invitation to move on to a separate lounge on Palm Tree Avenue.
It was there that the situation turned violent, according to Bazel. After Bazel mentioned to her friend that she was menstruating, the man’s demeanor shifted dramatically. He grew angry, telling Bazel outside the lounge (away from the loud indoor music) that he believed she used the comment as an excuse to reject his sexual advances. When Bazel explicitly clarified that she had never intended to have sex with him, the confrontation escalated: he grabbed her arm, and when she pulled away, he punched her directly in the face.
“I immediately started bleeding as soon as he did it,” Bazel recalled from her home in Ohio, adding that bystanders outside the lounge did nothing to intervene. “Nobody did anything, nobody helped.” She ran back inside to find her friend, too afraid to fight back as the man grew increasingly aggressive. Staff from the lounge escorted the pair to a local police station, where Bazel filed an official complaint. A police officer then took her to a local hospital for treatment, and a hospital worker drove her back to her Airbnb accommodation. The punch cut through her upper lip after it collided with her tooth, leaving her with severe pain that made eating and drinking nearly impossible in the immediate aftermath of the attack. Though her injury has healed since her return to the U.S., the emotional impact of the incident has left her hesitant to travel back to the country.
Bazel shared her experience in a viral TikTok video, which opens with footage of her bloodied face holding a tissue to her swollen lip. As of press time, the video has amassed more than 54,000 views, and dozens of other female tourists have since reached out to Bazel to share their own similar allegations of harassment or scams connected to the same man and his taxi driver cousin.
Following the filing of Bazel’s complaint, the Royal Bahamas Police Force has confirmed the investigation is active and has issued a wanted poster for the suspect. Local officials have acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations, though the industry regulatory process is still unfolding. Transport Minister Leon Lundy noted that it has not yet been confirmed whether the suspect is a licensed jet ski operator, a detail that sits at the center of growing concerns about unvetted operators in the Bahamas’ beach tourism sector. Lundy said the Ministry of Transport takes regulatory enforcement seriously, and will support the ongoing police investigation before taking any regulatory action within its authority once all facts are confirmed. He added that he hopes Bazel is receiving the care and support she needs, and encouraged any other victims of harassment or violence to come forward to file official complaints.
Tourism Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin echoed that sentiment, saying she is deeply concerned about the social media conversation that has followed the incident, which has painted the Bahamas in a negative light. “My thoughts are with the young woman involved, and I sincerely hope she is receiving the care and support she needs following what must have been a very difficult experience,” Hanna-Martin said. “We are mindful of the impact incidents such as this can have on our tourism industry. We await the outcome of the police investigation and will allow the facts to guide any further action.”
This latest allegation is not an isolated incident, and it reinforces warnings that the U.S. State Department has issued to American travelers for years. The State Department’s current travel advisory for the Bahamas explicitly warns of risks connected to unlicensed jet ski and personal watercraft operators, noting that many independent operators lack proper licensing and insurance, and have been linked to reports of sexual assault, serious injury, and death. U.S. government employees are officially prohibited from renting jet skis from unregulated independent operators in the country, and warnings were amplified after a string of reported sexual assaults involving American tourists and jet ski operators in recent years. Most recently, in April 2025, another American woman reported being raped by a jet ski operator near Junkanoo Beach, leading to formal charges against a suspect in that case.
For Bazel, the future of any return to the Bahamas remains uncertain. She initially ruled out ever going back, but noted that she met many kind, welcoming Bahamian residents during the end of her trip, leaving her divided. “Until it seems like there’s going to be something done about it, I don’t think I would come back or even recommend people to go there,” she said.