Days after two tourists were injured outside St. Maarten's airport, officials there say they are evaluating security measures to prevent future injuries to visitors.
The couple, whose ill-considered stunt has racked up more than 4 million YouTube views, weren't severely hurt, according to reports, but the worldwide attention the airport received after the clip went viral prompted island officials to act even though tourists have been lining up on Maho Beach to watch departures for years.
"We acknowledge the obvious attraction by visitors of planes landing so close to the beach," a Thursday press release from Princess Juliana International Airport states. "Nevertheless, no amount of excitement or thrill can justify putting one's life in danger."
A YouTube search for "St. Maarten Airport" returns more than 12,000 videos, evidence of the attraction of the beach, which is adjacent to the east end of the airport's runway. Many of the videos show tourists being blasted by jet exhaust and blown to the ground or even into the nearby ocean.
In this case, the airport's reaction seems to be driven by the sheer popularity of the recent video -- and the clear view of these two visitors to the tourism-dependent island being injured.
"It's not that YouTube hasn't had a number of videos but this is the first time it showed someone getting hurt, although not seriously hurt thank goodness," said Richard Kahn, a spokesman listed on the release, who stressed he did not speak on behalf of airport officials.
While the airport hasn't specifically said what additional measures it will implement or given a timeline for that implementation, the release states that "the airport is currently considering heightened security." The dangerous area is already conspicuously marked by fencing, warning signs and guard rails.
And tourists shooting video of departing planes.
Earlier on HuffPost:
TKSLIDES
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