A visiting couple fell more than 200 feet into the sea after their para-sail disconnected from their tow boat.

The couple were not physically hurt. But they complained that their treatment by Skyrider Bermuda in Dockyard left much to be desired.

Arizona residents Jim Sinadinos and his wife, Karen, told The Royal Gazette the incident ruined their vacation and they want the company to reimburse the remainder of their holiday.

The main tow line somehow became disconnected as the couple were para-sailing over the Great Sound on Sunday afternoon. The couple descended for an undetermined amount of time.

But co-owner of the business, James Harvey, while apologising for the incident, said Mr. Sinadinos' was unreasonable in asking that Skyrider pay for his entire vacation after only being "scared and wet''.

A knot at the end of the rope securing the apparatus to a hydraulic winch became loose "for some unexplainable reason'', Mr. Harvey said, and the couple "glided'' back to the water. Mr. Sinadinos claims the pair fell from between 250 and 300 feet after feeling a very sharp jerk in the rope then seeing it loose in the air.

The couple considered jumping from the chair, but held on and rode it all the way down.

But Mr. Sinadinos' complaint is as much with the fall as with the alleged "nonchalant'' attitude of Skyrider staff and management afterward.

"We were told that we knew what we were getting into,'' Mr. Sinadinos said yesterday from his hotel. "He told me he didn't know what I wanted him to do.'' Mr. Sinadinos, an insurance broker, continued: "This guy takes no responsibility for the fall and has no remorse.'' He added: "They told me it has never broken before but it will probably happen again. They were all laughing.'' Mr. Sinadinos said Skyrider staff compared his attitude to the fall to another incident in which a couple had to be brought down in a controlled descent.

He claimed that Mr. Harvey told him that the couple found it amusing. But Mr.

Sinadinos found the comparison embarrassing.

He admitted that the Skyrider manager paid for the couple's taxi fare and refunded their money.

When asked what would resolve the problem, Mr. Sinadinos said: "I don't really know. I don't know if the guy is liable here (in Bermuda). I don't know what my rights are here.'' `Glide' was terror: Visitors Mr. Sinadinos added that he did not want anyone else to face a similar situation.

"They claim no responsibility for the rope breaking away, none whatsoever,'' Mr. Sinadinos said. "We love Bermuda and we had a wonderful time except for almost dying at the hands of Skyrider Bermuda.'' But Mr. Harvey called the descent a "glide''. He said his crew pulled the couple out of the water and other passengers commented favourably on how the situation was handled.

In fact, Mr. Harvey said they check the equipment once a year and the rope was only six months old.

"We tell them what can go wrong, and what to do if something does go wrong,'' he pointed out. "Our system is the safest there is and as long as you stay in the chair, the worst thing is you will get wet.'' Mr. Harvey also said he was willing to buy dry T-shirts for the couple and after some discussion was willing to re-enact the incident yesterday.

"Mr. Sinadinos seemed somewhat satisfied with this course of action,'' Mr.

Harvey continued. "Yesterday, when I refused to pay for his vacation he decided to take further action.'' He added: "Again, from the operator and crew, we publicly apologise for any discomfort caused.

"But we thought it was totally unreasonable to pay for his entire vacation for being scared and wet.'' Mr. Sinadinos was unmoved however and said: "It didn't glide down and they didn't tell people to stay in the chair. They said the chair would not flip in the air.'' He added: "I challenge this gentleman to put something on his wall saying that the rope can and has broken before and for people to be advised.

"That and taking care of the end of my ruined vacation is the least he could do.'' Terror drop: Karen and Jim Sinadinos endured a lengthy drop from more than 200 feet while para sailing with Skyrider Bermuda.