SAVANNAH, Ga. – Effective immediately, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, has banned the use of tube kites on the three lakes under its jurisdiction in Georgia and South Carolina. Tube kites are immediately prohibited on Lakes Hartwell, J. Strom Thurmond and Richard B. Russell under authority of U.S. Code, Title 36, Chapter III, Part 327, Section 327.12(a) Restrictions.

Tube kiting is a new “extreme” water sport gaining popularity in America. Tube kites are large inflatables with a solid fabric floor that are pulled behind high-speed boats much like water skis. Unlike skis, however, tube kites are designed to become airborne with a rider on top, giving the rider an aerial thrill. The circular cloth structure, which is shaped roughly like a large-size child’s wading pool, lacks lateral stability and controls often resulting in the tube slamming hard into the water surface, overturning, or throwing the rider. The device can be difficult to control and can be suddenly upended or destabilized by wind gusts, or thrown out of the air by a slow-moving or stopping boat.

Serious, even life-threatening or fatal injures have been reported at other Corps of Engineers lakes and by the National Park Service, who has also banned the use of the devices at all national parks. The Consumer Product Safety Commission blames kite tubes on at least two deaths this year. Other injures include broken necks, broken ribs, chest and back injuries, and fractured spine. A kite tube can unpredictably dive into the water with the force equivalent to a 70-foot drop.

“The danger associated with these devices far out-weighs the benefits of their unrestricted use,” said Col. Mark S. Held, commander of the Savannah District. “I ordered the immediate ban on tube kites on Savannah District lakes to protect the safety of our visitors.”

“The Corps is absolutely committed to ensuring the recreating public is not placed at risk when visiting our lakes. We will take every precaution and measure available to us to protect the health and safety of every visitor to our projects,” Held explained.

Park rangers assigned to the three Corps lakes will enforce the ban.