Mayer also noted that cliff jumping was banned at Glen Canyon last year after a spate of injuries and fatalities related to the activity. Schneider said the park management is not contemplating a similar ban on kite tubes at this time, but they will evaluate the accidents to determine how to prevent future mishaps.

"Our first concern at Glen Canyon is obviously the safety of our guests," he said. "We want to make sure that they do have a safe time while they are here."

Jay Schneider, spokesman for SportsStuff Inc., said his company worked closely with the Water Sports Industry Association on the kite tube, which won Sports Product of the Year Award in 2006 from the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association. He said SportsStuff includes with the kite tubes an extensive system of warnings and instructions, including an instructional DVD and many warning patches printed on the surface of the tube.

"The Wego kite tube has been extensively tested and has been found to be a safe item when properly used under the recommended guidelines," he said.

---

E-mail: jdana@desnews.com