Claris Law Legal Blogging Community

Name:

E-mail:

Phone Number:

Zip Code:

Your Question:

Editor: Rod Sullivan
Profession: Maritime Attorney

Category: Boating Accidents

It sounded like a good idea at the time. Sportsstuff.com describes the Wego Kite Tube as "the next generation of action towable" but its actual use in the field has shown it to be dangerous to consumers, causing 2 deaths and 39 known injuries. The kite tube is towed behind a motorboat. When the boat and tube attain adequate speed, the tube lifts into the air, with the passenger on top. The warning on the product tells consumers not to fly any higher than they are willing to fall, but misuse is forseeable, and many have been injured.

Here is the advertisement for the the Wego Kite Tube,

Wego Kite Tube

10ft diameter flying tube

Take flight with the WEGO KITE TUBE! The next generation of action towable is here, taking you to a whole new level of excitement! Whip across the water like a deck tube, or fly through the air like a bird! Experience the thrill of flight as you rise above the water, reaching incredible heights, leaving nothing but adrenaline in your wake! The level of extreme sport has been raised with the WEGO KITE TUBE. Anything else is beneath it...
Model 53-5000 Sug. Retail: $599.95

KITE TUBE WITHDRAWN FROM MARKET - CLICK HERE FOR INFO

According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission:

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Sportsstuff, Inc., of Omaha, Nebraska is voluntarily recalling about 19,000 Wego Kite Tubes.

CPSC staff is aware of 39 injury incidents with 29 of those resulting in medical treatment. Those injuries include a broken neck, punctured lung, chest and back injuries and facial injuries. Sportsstuff has received reports of two deaths in the United States and a variety of serious injuries. Sportsstuff has been unable to determine the cause of the incidents. Nevertheless, the company has withdrawn the kite tube from the market and is undertaking this voluntary recall out of an abundance of caution.

The Sportsstuff Wego Kite Tube is a 10-foot-wide, circular, yellow inflatable watercraft designed to be towed behind a power boat. A rider in the tube becomes airborne by pulling on handles attached to the floor of the tube. Model 53-5000 is printed on the tube near the product valve. The floor of the tube has black caution warning stripes. The cover for the product bears a skull and crossbones and the statement "Never Kite higher than you are willing to fall." The tubes were imported and sold through marine distributors, mail order catalogs, and various retailers from approximately October 1, 2005 to July 11, 2006 for about $500 to $600.

Consumers should immediately stop using the kite tubes and contact Sportsstuff at (866) 831-5524 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST Monday through Friday to learn how to obtain free replacement products. Consumers can also visit the firm's Web site at www.sportsstuff.com for more information.