The 57-year-old New Zealand woman was reportedly holding onto a fence to feel the blast of a jumbo jet in St. Maarten.
A famous Caribbean beach known worldwide for its uncomfortable proximity to the island's airport became the scene of a tragedy this week.
Tourists flock to St. Maarten's Maho Beach to take in the sun and the spectacle of jumbo jets zooming overheard as they take off and land at Princess Juliana International Airport, which is less than 200 feet from the beach.
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One New Zealand woman was doing just that Wednesday when officials say she was knocked into a wall as she tried to cling to a fence to feel the jet blast.
Tourists are consistently warned not to do, officials said.
They are warnings that go unheeded.
"Many people come just for the thrill of this main attraction, and unfortunately this time someone lost their life," Rolando Brison, the island's director of tourism, told the New Zealand Herald.
Henderson said many injuries have been reported, but that this is the first death.
"It's very dangerous," he said. "It goes on all day, every day."
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Brison said he has spoken to the family of the victim, whose name is not being released.
"At this time I only wish to express my deepest sympathy to the family and loved ones while we continue to investigate what transpired just hours ago," he said.
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