Freak accident on an ATV tour in Roatan. We disembarked from our cruise and booked one of the local vendors right off of the pier where several tour agencies line up to sell tours. We were traveling with 2 young children. We agreed to do 1hr ATV ride, animal encounter, and end up in the beach. We arrive at the ATV location and the place is sketchy. No helmets were provided for the kids but we insisted so they found some that didn’t even fit properly. The tour guides were like 16-17 years old. We begin driving. About 10 minutes into the tour we begin climbing steep hills with cliffs and no railings. The trail was dangerous and not for beginners nor a family group with young children. The ATVs were clearly not equipped for those steep climbs. My ATV gives out midway through the second climb and turns off. I immediately lose control over the ATV. I can’t accelerate or stop. I have no control as the ATV begins gaining speed on its way down. I crash into a wall and the ATV flips over with my 6 year old son and I. My husband also loses control and flips over on his ATV as well with our younger son. We all got injured and ended up in the ship’s emergency room. My husband got a dislocated shoulder. My kids were fine thankfully other than a few scrapes and bruises. The tour guides lied about the terrain and safety of the trip. It was not appropriate for kids and not appropriate for the type of excursion that we booked. They also tried to blame me by insinuating that my ATV gave out because I wasn’t accelerating enough which makes no sense because my entire ATV shut off despite maximum acceleration. The whole experience was horrific and poorly handled by the guides. Never again. Please don’t book these tours off the ships, especially those involving equipment that barely get proper maintenance nor safety checks. Hoping this prevents another accident. Stay safe!
