A Taiwanese court has ordered a jet ski association, its trip leader, and the driver to jointly pay NT$5.96 million over a woman's drowning death, a warning shot for organizers of risky water sports tours.

• A woman fell off the back of a jet ski during a May 2022 group crossing from Chiayi to Penghu and drowned.
• The driver did not notice she was gone until he was 10 nautical miles off Dongji Island.
• Coast guard teams searched but found nothing; her body turned up days later off Changhua.
• The court blamed the driver for unsafe operation and failing to watch his passenger, and held the association and trip leader liable alongside him.

Outlook: The ruling raises the legal risk for water-sports groups running long open-sea crossings, and tighter safety rules or insurance demands are likely to follow.