00:00Tobago House of Assembly and Pigeon Point Heritage Park Limited have rejected liability
00:05for the April 8th, 2026 collision at Pigeon Point Heritage Park,
00:09which resulted in the death of seven-year-old Angelica Jogi.
00:15The decision was set out in a September 8th letter from the THA's Division of Legal Affairs
00:19to the Freedom Law Chambers, which was acting for Salisha Jogi and Arnold Jogi
00:24in their own right and as the parents of Angelina Jogi.
00:27The letter responded to a July 15th communication from the law firm
00:31concerning proposed legal proceedings against Ashworth Burnett, the jet ski operator,
00:37the THA and the Pigeon Point Heritage Park Limited.
00:40It addressed liability rather than the amount of damages being claimed.
00:45The THA, through its Division of Legal Affairs, said its clients acknowledged the pain
00:49associated with the events of April 8th and the loss suffered by the family,
00:53but it drew a distinction between expressing sympathy and accepting responsibility.
00:59The letter stated,
01:00Our clients do not accept that the collision occurred because of their sustained
01:05and systematic failure in governance, marine safety management, supervision,
01:11enforcement, risk management, and protection, as you have alleged.
01:17It said the THA and Pigeon Point Heritage Park Limited had acted on lessons from an earlier
01:23incident in the waters adjacent to Pigeon Point, which was the subject of the Barry Lasso case.
01:29In that case, the court had found breaches of the duty of care in relation to warning signs
01:35and measures to prevent boats from entering the area used for bathing.
01:39The letter said the identified gaps had been addressed across the wider marine space,
01:45including the Pigeon Point Heritage Park.
01:47According to the response, floats, ropes, and buoys had been installed and maintained since 2007
01:55to mark a designated recreational bathing area.
01:59Signage covering water safety had been installed at the park in or about 2017.
02:05The sign stated that motorized water sporting activities were not allowed
02:10and that the use of jet skis within the marine park was strictly prohibited.
02:15The letter also said lifeguards were maintained at the park from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
02:20and that assistance continued to be sought from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service
02:24to enforce existing rules and regulations, which the THA said fell outside its remit.
02:31The Division of Legal Affairs said the THA had also taken steps towards regulating jet ski use
02:37in Tobago's coastal waters.
02:38It said a ban on jet skis in Storbe and Buko had been introduced in or about June or July
02:452011,
02:46while jet ski policy and regulations had been drafted in or about 2015
02:52during the Department of Marine Resources and Fisheries.
02:55Consultations with jet ski operators had taken place in September 2015.
