Every so often, parasailers soaring above the Gulf of Mexico off Florida's west coast tumble from the sky and plummet into the water or onto the beach.

That happened this weekend when a 28-year-old woman was critically injured after strong winds snapped the tow line that tethered her to a speed boat.

When this happens, the highly popular sport gets a black eye, but like most shiners, it quickly heals. People love the thrill. Calls to more strictly regulate the sport have fallen every time they were brought up.

In 2008, a bill proposed by state Rep. Carl Domino, R-Jupiter, would have required owners of vessels to carry liability insurance and follow certain standards. At the time, he said, he had safety concerns about children getting hurt.

That bill died in committee.

"No one even approached me in subsequent years to do anything about it," Domino said today. "There just wasn't a lot of support for the bill at the time."

Six years ago, after a parasailing accident off Madeira Beach in which a rope towing two teenage girls snapped, then-state Sen. Jim Sebesta, R-St. Petersburg, tried legislating parasailing regulations. He said at the time that the overall lack of standards for equipment and operations made the sport dangerous.

"When tourists come down here and go on these things, they just assume and suspect someone is watching for their safety," Sebesta said in 2004. "I think that's a fairly reasonable assumption. But lo and behold, there is none of that, absolutely none of that. There are absolutely no standards at all."

His 2004 bill did not pass.

The most recent accident happened on Sunday when a woman parasailing in Clearwater landed on the beach, striking several umbrellas and chairs and crashing into a 4-by-4 inch volleyball net wood stake after her tow rope snapped, officials said.

AlejandraWhite, 28, remained in critical condition at Bayfront Medical Center, according to a hospital spokeswoman this morning.

White was parasailing with her fiancé, Shaun Ladd, when a storm with strong winds came through, said Joelle Castelli, a spokeswoman for Clearwater Public Safety. Ladd's line broke and he fell into the water. He swam to shore with minor cuts and bruises.

White, who was vacationing from her home near Atlanta, continued to drift east in the parasail before landing on the beach, Castelli said.

Florida's beaches are a popular spot for parasailing.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimates between 70 and 120 commercial parasail operators exist statewide. Industry officials say accidents do happen. The Parasailing Safety Council said that from 1990 through September 2009, there were more than 380 parasailing accidents - resulting in 78 serious injuries and 22 deaths in the United States and its territories.

U.S. Coast Guard officials have worked on a report that includes recommendations for the first-ever regulations of the parasail industry, according to a story last month in the Sun News in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The report will be released next month, a Coast Guard spokesman told the Tribune today.

State Sen. Dennis Jones, R-Seminole, said he would support a Florida bill regulating the industry if someone filed one.

"From a safety standpoint," he said, "I think we need it."

But David Duvernay, who runs a parasailing boat on Johns Pass, said it would be difficult to control a business that is dependant on weather and nature, which can change from moment to moment.

"Every day is different," Duvernay said. "Everything is changing from time to time. To try to put one set of rules for everybody ... in this industry would be kind of hard.

"The way I feel about it is if I wouldn't fly my own family members, than I'm not going to fly any customers," he said.

Two investigations were sparked by Sunday's accident, said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Gary Morse. His agency is investigating whether any criminal negligence was involved.

The U.S. Coast Guard is looking at the equipment and if it was properly used and maintained and if the parasailing operators were licensed, he said.

Morse wouldn't elaborate on the criminal investigation and said it could take weeks before the probe is completed.

"There is an open investigation into possible criminal charges," he said. "We would do that with any accident like this."

He said the sport has little oversight. Other than boat operators being required to have captain's licenses, the equipment largely is uninspected and safety practices are pretty much left up to the industry.

Still, Morse said, parasailing accidents that result in serious injury are uncommon, considering the abundance of parasailing opportunities available along the Pinellas coast.

Morse said it appeared the weather caused the weekend accident, when strong winds rose in front of an approaching storm.

"Thunderstorms blow up very quickly and with high intensity," Morse said, "and so the responsible action by mariners be it recreational boaters or commercial operations like parasailing, is to get off the water before anything happens."

Vessel captains, he said, "should be watching for that and when you see indicators, get off the water. In this case, it appears there was plenty of indication that a storm was brewing."

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Mariana O'Leary said Tuesday that no citations have been issued and the matter is still under investigation.

"We investigate anytime there's a marine accident, commercial or private," she said. "In this case, we looking over all the information we have to determine if there was any violations and from there, we move forward.

"The reason we are doing this is that anytime there's a casualty or accident, we want to determine the cause," she said. "We're looking for reasons behind why things happen and hopefully preventing them in the future. It's not always about finding blame.

She said the Coast Guard's probe could take up to six months to complete.

"These investigations don't get slapped together," she said. "They are very serious, drawn out investigations."

She said the parachute and lines all have been placed in evidence.

Regulation of the sport lies mainly with the industry itself. The Parasail Safety Council, based in Maitland, says it has taken a leadership role in self regulation.

According to the council's website, boat operators are required to have a U.S. Coast Guard captain's license and the operation must have all the local and state business licenses, but parasail operators have been known to operate without license or insurance.

The council urges parasailers to make sure the operator is well-established and insured and not to be afraid to ask questions like how long the operator has been in business and if their business permits are current.

Parasail captains should know not to take customers up in high winds or low visibility, the website says. Customers under 16 should not be taken up, as well as customers who weigh over 300 pounds.

The council urged operators to give a preflight safety briefing before each excursion. The session should include a description of the flight and safety procedures in case of emergencies. Customers should be briefed on hand signals and what to do if they drop into the water.

A safe parasailing trip should not be more than 600 feet, the council's website said, especially, if the trip is close to shore.

Safety tips for parasailers:

Ask operators how long they have been in business and about their safety record.

Ask whether the boat operator is a Coast Guard-licensed captain.

The inexperienced should avoid parasailing in wind exceeding 18 knots. Such conditions can complicate emergencies.

Never go up in rain, fog or when a storm is approaching.

Parasailing isn't recommended for those under 15 or those who weigh more than 300 pounds. Tell the operator not to let you sail higher than 500 feet over open ocean or 300 feet over lakes, bays and sounds.

Familiarize yourself with parasail equipment.

Get adequate safety training prior to flight. This should include safety procedures, proper use of hand signals and evacuation procedures for a water landing, fire or capsizing.

Ask questions: How long is the flight? Is the weather OK?

Never fly close to objects such as buildings or other parasailors.

Source: Parasail Safety Council