Connect with us

TCI News

Family of 16 tourist claims negligence in Grand Turk jet ski death; Coroner’s Court hearing evidence

Published

on

Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer 

The family of a 16-year-old who died in Grand Turk six years ago while on a Carnival Cruise into Grand Turk is a little closer to closure as the Turks and Caicos Islands Coroner’s Court has opened his case for an inquest. 

“On Wednesday, May 16th, 2018, at 11:30 a.m. Police and Emergency Medical Officials responded to a two-jet-ski collision that left a 16-year-old male dead, near the Cruise Terminal in Grand Turk. Two people were involved in the collision. The second male did not receive any injuries. This incident is under Police investigation.” 

That was the brief police report in the aftermath of Nicholas Twyman’s death. 

In the comments dozens of residents and visitors claim to have been on the scene that day, as the boy was pulled ashore, some trying to assist while others looked on, horrified. 

Coroner Mickia Mills called up the case on March 21, 2024 almost six years after the incident occurred. Mills is in charge of finding out what exactly happened that day in Grand Turk and whether there was any negligence or if it was simply a terrible accident. 

That verdict will be for the coroner and her potential jurors to decide. However, the family has shared their version of what happened that day. 

A lawsuit filed in Florida Courts in October 2019 (Twyman v. Carnival Corp) detailed the heartbreaking hours that led up to the death of Nicholas. In it, the plaintiffs, listed as Gyjuanna TWYMAN and Michael Twyman, claim that they docked in Grand Turk and were curious about using the jet skis; both parents and the son were told by the Carnival team aboard the ship that there was not a formal shore excursion in Grand Turk involving jet skis, but that jet skis would be available for rent by the hour. 

The family from Indiana claims three jet skis were rented, one for Nicholas, another for his father, Michael, and another for a different passenger, while their mother remained ashore. Wet Money Enterprise is listed as the jet ski company. 

The family says they were given little instruction on using the Jet Skis, especially their son who was a new rider. The lawsuit maintains that Michael was not given any instructions other than being told where the kill switch was and not to ride too close to the cruise ship.

Sometime during his excursion, the young man crashed into the other jet ski. The family claims that neither Carnival Cruises nor representatives from the jet ski company responded. They say it was his father who spun around on his own jet ski, dived into the water for his son, and brought him to shore.

Once there, it was the young man’s mother, a registered nurse, who started emergency medical care. 

When Turks and Caicos’s EMS did arrive after 15 minutes, the family claims they were unsure how to use certain medical implements and had to be directed by the distressed mother. 

The court documents list the cause of death for the young man as blunt force, trauma and drowning, similar to what is listed in the TCI courts. 

Coroner Mills, who took up her position in 2024, will oversee the proceedings which continued on Tuesday, April 23rd. 

TCI News

VisitTCI and Potcake Place Highlight Growing Homeless Dog Crisis  

Published

on

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands — The Turks and Caicos Islands could soon be facing a major tourism problem: thousands more stray dogs.

It’s a likely consequence of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ban on US puppy imports, says Potcake Place K9 Rescue founder and director Jane ParkerRauw in a new video produced by Visit Turks and Caicos Islands.

The collaboration between the country’s leading tourism website and the charity dog rescue—which works to reduce the local population of homeless dogs—sheds light on how the CDC ruling has disrupted the charity’s operations and is contributing to an alarming rise in the country’s homeless dogs.

“It’s going to take years of getting back from [the progress we’ve lost] over the last 14 months,” said Parker-Rauw in an interview with VisitTCI. “I can’t stress how in such a short period of time, this is going to have such an impact on tourism here.”

On Aug. 1, 2024, the CDC’s ban on importing dogs less than six months old into the US took effect. The ban aims to prevent the introduction of DMRVV (dog-maintained rabies virus variant) into the US.

Since then, Potcake Place has been unable to find homes for hundreds of puppies. For the first time in the rescue’s 25-year history, they have had to turn away dogs.

“If we allow stray dogs to overrun the islands, it will inevitably affect the experience of our visitors and the tourism industry as a whole,” says Daniel J. LeVin, executive editor of VisitTCI. “Visit Turks and Caicos Islands works hard to promote the Turks and Caicos as one of the world’s premier travel destinations, and that means supporting efforts that protect the environment, community, and visitor experience.”

Many residents of Providenciales remember a time when wild dogs were shot to keep packs in check, or more recently, the fatal attack of a North Caicos woman in 2012 by feral dogs.

Large stray populations pose health and safety risks, deter tourists, and strain public resources. Many puppies the Potcake Place has had to turn away since the ban began have likely already had puppies themselves, says Parker-Rauw.

The impact of controlling a potentially explosive population of homeless dogs could have serious negative effects on the Turks and Caicos tourism industry, as seen in countries like Turkey.

“Two dogs in six years, if none of their offspring die, will produce 62,000 dogs,” says Parker-Rauw. “This is a major problem.”

The United States accounts for over 80% of visitors to the Turks and Caicos Islands and the vast majority of Potcake Place’s adoptions.

Since the ban came into effect, US adoptions have dropped from roughly 500 per year to just five per month, says Parker-Rauw. Getting older puppies to the US is challenging, as they’re too large for airline cabins and not permitted in the hold of planes traveling between Turks and Caicos and the US.

Potcake Place has been advocating for a revision of the ban to allow puppies from lowrisk rabies or rabies-free countries into the US. Turks and Caicos is a DMRVV-free country, and all puppies adopted through Potcake Place are fully vaccinated before travel.

This collaboration is one of several that Visit Turks and Caicos Islands has spearheaded this year to promote sustainable tourism. Both the video and an expanded article can be found at www.visittci.com/news.

Continue Reading

TCI News

Turks and Caicos Islands Reaffirms Status as Premier Beach and Romance Destination at World Travel Awards  

Published

on

Mr. Paul Pennicook, Interim CEO Consultant, Experience Turks and Caicos

PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS – (October 6th, 2025) – The Turks and Caicos Islands has once again reaffirmed its status as the Caribbean’s premier beach and romance destination at the annual World Travel Awards.

At the ceremony held in Saint Lucia on October 4th, the destination was named the region’s Leading Beach Destination and Most Romantic Destination. Turks and Caicos has captured the Leading Beach Destination title every year since 2015 and the Most Romantic Destination award for seven consecutive years.

“It is no secret that the Turks and Caicos Islands is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, and we are honoured that voters continue to recognise this. Our pristine waters and secluded settings also make the destination one of the world’s most romantic getaways, especially for couples seeking luxury and intimacy. On behalf of Experience Turks and Caicos, I extend sincere thanks to the World Travel Awards and to everyone who voted in support of our islands,” said Mr. Paul Pennicook, Interim CEO Consultant, Experience Turks and Caicos.

Experience Turks and Caicos would like to extend congratulations to our hotel partners and stakeholders who also won regional recognition at the World Travel Awards.

Beaches – Caribbean’s Leading All-Inclusive Family Resort 2025

The Palms – Caribbean’s Leading All-Suite Hotel 2025

Ambergris Cay Private Island Resort – Caribbean’s Leading Private Island Resort 2025

InterCaribbean – Caribbean’s Leading Cabin Crew 2025

Turks and Caicos Islands Awards

Windsong Resort – Turks and Caicos Leading Boutique Hotel 2025

The Palms – Turks and Caicos Leading Hotel 2025

Grace Bay Club – Turks and Caicos Leading Luxury Resort 2025

The Shore Club – Turks and Caicos Leading Resort 2025

Four-bedroom Oceanfront Penthouse @Windsong Resort – Turks and Caicos Leading Hotel Suite 2025

Avis – Turks and Caicos Leading Car Rental Company 2025

Caicos Dream Tours – Turks and Caicos Leading Tour Operator 2025

Olympia Destination Management Company – Turks and Caicos Leading Destination Management Company 2025

The Turks and Caicos Islands now has an opportunity to win ultimate recognition in global travel and tourism with three global nominations in the World Travel Awards for the following:

World’s Leading Beach Destination
World’s Leading Island Destination
World’s Most Romantic Destination

The “World’s Leading” categories are the highest in the World Travel Awards programme. Voting runs from October 6th -26th October 2025. Votes can be cast by travel professionals, media and tourism consumers, with the nominee gaining the most votes announced as the 2025 World Travel Awards winner.

Continue Reading

TCI News

103 Migrants Intercepted by U.S. Coast Guard and TCI Agencies

Published

on

Turks and Caicos, September 21, 2025 – On Sunday, September 21st, 2025, the United States Coast Guard Southeast (USCG), working in coordination with the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RT&CIPF) Marine Branch, the TCI Regiment, and the TCI Border Force, intercepted a vessel carrying 103 migrants bound for Providenciales.

The suspicious vessel, first tracked by the USCG, was stopped at sea and later secured by the Sea Guardian vessel, which towed it safely to South Dock Marina. Upon arrival, the migrants were disembarked and handed over to the TCI Border Force for processing.

A breakdown of those on board confirmed:

  • 75 males (including two minors)
  • 28 females (including two minors)

This interception marks the 18th such operation in 2025, bringing the total number of migrants detained this year to 1,510.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      The RT&CIPF thanks the USCG and local agencies for their close cooperation, noting that this successful outcome demonstrates the effectiveness of layered security measures protecting the Turks and Caicos Islands.                                                                                                                                                                                                   The Force reminds the public that illegal migration is dangerous and life-threatening, and violations of the law will not be tolerated.

Anyone with information on illegal migration is urged to contact the nearest police station, call 911, the Serious Crime Unit at 231-1842, or report anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 or via the P3 app.

Photos Courtesy: Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force

Continue Reading

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

TRENDING