Spring breakers on jet ski come too close to cruise ship

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - The three young college women were out for an afternoon of fun, when suddenly, things took horrible turn.

Two hours after flying in from West Virginia, the high school friends got on a jet ski while one of the girls brother’s and his wife got on another and headed out towards the Atlantic Ocean from Port Canaveral. 

Skyler Pentasuglia says about 10 minutes into their jet-skiing adventure, her brother pulled up next to them, warning the girls that a cruise ship was leaving port and heading in their direction. 

“When we slowed down there got to be water in the feet of the jet ski and we turned over,” said Pentasuglia.  “We tried getting up like three times.”

The girls kept falling back into the water as the cruise ship crept closer. 

“It starts coming towards us and like honking," said Pentasuglia.  "And we're like we got to go we got to go and I'm like I'm trying.”

Lucky for them, the cruise ship’s pilot had been keeping an eye on the girls and called down to the Brevard County Sheriffs deputy who was escorting the boat to check on the jet skiers.  By that time the three girls were bobbing in the water.  

“I got the first one in. I had to see and make sure that I had enough time to get the other one out of the water. Because, them being in my boat would be a whole lot safer than them being in the water as that crew ship passed,” said Deputy Primmer. 

The ship’s pilot guided the vessel slightly right, trying to buy time. 

“It was seconds, it was seconds.  I'll tell you he did a great job him of the bridge team the pilot bridge team did it great job given me the second that were needed to get them in the boat,” said Deputy Primmer. 

He hustled to get his boat in reverse, changing course just as the cruise ship started shadowing over his boat, less than 10 feet between the vessels.

“If it weren't for him, I don't know what we would have done,” said Pentasuglia.