The Aviation Club of Cuba (CAC) released the expanded findings of the investigation into the events of July 4, the day a fatal accident occurred following the water landing of a paraglider in Isla de la Juventud during a tandem flight, which resulted in the loss of life of 12-year-old adolescent Joel Alejandro Suárez Sánchez.

The statement notes that the investigative commission—dispatched by the Civil Aviation Institute of Cuba (IACC) and the National Board of the Aviation Club of Cuba—determined the sequence of events that led to the fatal outcome after examining the scene, hearing eyewitness testimony, and reviewing information previously gathered by law enforcement agencies.

These events took place during a routine flight of a sporting nature in an area known as Playa Paraíso, in Sierra de Caballos. Along the coastline, an unauthorized commercial flight line was improvised, offering the experience to beach visitors for 3,000 CUP. The flight plan consisted of a route along the hills parallel to the coast, with a landing scheduled on the sand. The report adds that meteorological conditions were good in the flight zone at the time.

As part of this improvisation, several commercial flights were conducted, with the accident occurring during the final takeoff at approximately 4:00 p.m.. After covering part of the planned route at an altitude of about 50 meters over the mountain range, a sudden wind shift abruptly lifted the paraglider, pushing it upward and eastward toward the sea. This was the result of downbursts originating from a storm cloud in the center of the island several kilometers away, which generated violent currents heading toward the coast. Upon colliding with the western slope of the mountain range, these currents moved upward and eastward, sweeping the paraglider into the flow on the other side of the slope.

Therefore, the direct cause of the accident was the sudden wind change, which radically transformed local flight conditions within a short window of time.

Nevertheless, the report notes that other factors of a human nature contributed to the fatal outcome. First and foremost, conducting an unauthorized commercial activity in an improvised manner led to violations of safety measures and established protocols, which are significantly more stringent than those required for purely recreational sporting activities. The Aviation Club of Cuba has neither authorized nor negotiated commercial operations in Isla de la Juventud with the Adventure and Nature Commission of the Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR). Furthermore, the financial records of the CAC show that not a single cent has been received from any activities other than those officially approved by the CAC and MINTUR in select tourist destinations across the island.

Given the improvised nature of this flight operation, the required documentary registrations were not maintained, which compromised the family's ability to provide fully informed consent. The investigation also revealed that although the paraglider pilot was experienced as an athlete, he was still in the process of training to become a certified tandem pilot. He had not yet obtained his rating and was completely unqualified to be certified by the CAC to provide services to third parties. Additionally, the use of life jackets, mandated by Cuban Aviation Regulations for operations near the coastline, could have made the difference between the flight's fatal outcome and the passenger's survival.

Recreational tandem paragliding flights are an internationally utilized option with high levels of acceptance and safety, including for minors; however, this requires rigorous operational control by personnel whose qualifications exceed those required for regular sporting activities and who are certified as such—protocols that were entirely breached in this case. The statement explains that while it is an activity that always carries an inherent element of risk, practicing it under the required safety standards minimizes these risks substantially, yielding an excellent safety record globally.

The source notes that since the CAC began offering these public services in 2010, no fatalities or serious injuries had ever occurred in this type of operation. Consequently, the organization expressed deep sorrow that this tragedy resulted from an activity that should never have taken place, costing a Cuban child his life due to thoughtless and irresponsible behavior.

As a result of the detected failures, the entity announced the suspension of all sporting activities related to free flight in Isla de la Juventud until the corresponding analyses are fully concluded. Other regulatory measures, or those aimed at drawing lessons from this bitter experience, will be evaluated internally by the Aviation Club of Cuba for implementation across the wider Cuban free-flight community.

Authorities concluded that these sad events demonstrate that unauthorized commercial activities were a primary driver of the tragedy. This underscores the critical need for strict oversight regarding any recreational, athletic, or physical activity where potential danger to human life or physical and psychological integrity is present. The provision of any such service, as well as any activity attempted by any natural or legal entity, must be previously certified and authorized by the competent authorities.