THA denies liability in Pigeon Point jet ski death of seven-year-old

Trinidad and Tobago: The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) has officially denied any liability in the jet ski accident at Pigeon Point beach in which seven-year-old Angelica Jogie was killed.

The THA argued that the responsibility rested solely with the jet-ski operator.

The Division of Legal Affairs issued a response on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 to a pre-action protocol letter filed by Freedom Law Chambers on behalf of the Jogie family on July 15, 2026.

Angelica, who was a former San Fernando TML student was hit by a jet ski on April 8, 2026, in the bathing only zone at Pigeon Point, and pronounced dead at the Scarborough General Hospital.

Freedom Law Chambers had signalled its intent to sue the THA, Pigeon Point Heritage Park and jet ski operator Ashworth Burnett over her death.

In its response, the Division of Legal Affairs said the THA continued to sympathise with the Jogie family but drew a distinction between showing compassion and accepting liability. It said the family's claim was misdirected and should instead focus on Burnett who is on remand charged with manslaughter.

Attorneys for the Jogie family allege that the THA breached its duty of care by failing to learn from past marine incidents and take adequate safety measures at the beach.

The division pushed back on that claim citing a 2008 boating accident for which the THA was sued. In that incident, the presiding judge found that the THA had failed to provide adequate signage and had not installed buoys or barriers at Pigeon Point. The division said those gaps have been closed following a wider assessment of the marine space, even though the earlier incident was in a different part of the beach.

It also noted that while the THA's powers are constitutionally limited, the 2020 Tobago Marine Parks Bill had stalled at the Cabinet level after being passed by the Assembly, and an updated 2026 version was passed by the THA Legislature in April and has since advanced to the Chief Parliamentary Council en route to Parliament, reflecting the Assembly's commitment to safety even though the bill has not yet been enacted into national law.

Adanna Joseph-Wallace, Legal Affairs Secretary, in her defence of the THA's position noted that the THA cannot absorb liability onto itself for the bad conduct of people or take responsibility for the conduct of the public.

Angelica's father Arnold Jogie said he expected the THA to shift blame onto the jet ski operator but maintained the Assembly bears some responsibility for his daughter's death. He said the matter would now be left to the family's lawyers.