The second parasail accident in Gulf Shores this month left at least two people injured

GULF SHORES, Alabama -- The second parasail accident in Gulf Shores this month left at least two people injured.
The owner of Perdido Key Parasails, Steve Vrondran, said the tow line "separated" in a sudden gust of wind Monday.
The two injuries -- to a deckhand aboard the boat and one parasailer -- occurred when the line snapped back, according to Ensign Tim Williams with the U.S. Coast Guard.
The parasail made a soft landing in the water and three parasailers were picked up by the boat, Williams said.
"It was a rare, freak thing," said Vrondran, whose business is stationed at 401 East Beach Blvd. "I've been in the business 23 years, and I've never had anything like this happen."
The parasailer was given stitches, treated and released at a nearby hospital, according to Beach Safety Supervisor Scott A. Smothers.
The deckhand on the boat at the time complained of a minor knee injury, Vrondran said.
The 37-foot parachute that was being used is designed to withstand 17 mile-per-hour winds, according to Vrondran. A 33-foot parachute can withstand about 22 mile-per-hour winds, and Vrondran said he won't take people for rides if winds are stronger than that.
The rope that was being used was about a week old, Williams said.
The 30-40 mile per hour gust lasted about 2 or 3 seconds Monday, when the wind shifted from the south to the north, Vrondran said.
"There were no squalls, no clouds in the sky," he said. "This was unavoidable."
Smothers said beach umbrellas were blown around "at the exact time" he received a call about the parasail incident.
The U.S. Coast Guard continues to investigate Monday's incident, Williams said, along with another case from Aug. 6, when a parasail's tow ropes were cut by a low-flying seaplane.
It has yet to be determine whether the plane was too low or the parasail was too high, Williams said.
That incident occurred near the main beach at Gulf Shores. No major injuries were reported.
The engine of the aircraft, an Aerofab Inc. model Lake LA-250 "Lake Amphibian," was damaged when the tow line caused a propeller to break apart. It made an emergency landing in the water farther down the beach. The pilot was uninjured, according to police.