From COVID infamy to happy-ever-after for Cayman jet-ski champ

The story of a young couple who made global headlines after being jailed for breaching Cayman’s strict COVID-era lockdown rules has had a happy ending.

Almost three years after their names and faces were splashed across news channels, from Hong Kong to Canada, Vanjae Ramgeet and Skylar Ramgeet (née Mack) are now happily married with a child of their own.

And jet-ski racer Ramgeet is starting to make a name for himself on the professional scene, taking fourth place in his most recent race in Indiana.

“My wife and kid mean the world to me,” he told the Compass. “Being able to bring such a beautiful kid into this world with such a supportive, smart and loving woman is all a man could ever ask for to continue his journey.”

While admitting he went through a dark time, nearly three years later, he is moving onward and upward, saying his life is better than it ever has been.

He and Mack recently married and the pair welcomed their first child – a boy – earlier this year.

The happy scene is a far cry from the public scrutiny the couple endured during the height of Cayman’s COVID-19 lockdown in November 2020.

Both served a month in prison after Skylar, who was 18 at the time, slipped off her monitoring bracelet and breached quarantine to watch Ramgeet win a jet-ski race in Cayman.

Amid widespread fear that the pandemic – then raging across the United States – would be reintroduced to virus-free Cayman, they were punished with the full force of the law.

They were the first people in Cayman to be jailed under the COVID-19-suppression regulations and the case attracted international attention.

US commentators put Cayman in the crosshairs, questioning the length of the sentence for Mack, an American citizen, while local sentiment was largely in favour of severe punishment for the young couple, who were painted as frivolous and irresponsible amid the threat of the pandemic.

While the couple had the support of many, they acknowledged at the time that they were at fault and owned up for their mistakes.

When asked about that period in his life, Ramgeet said he and his wife had put the situation behind them now and moved on to calmer seas, recently celebrating the birth of their son.

Unequal punishment

However, he pointed out that other members of the community who were in breach of COVID regulations did not receive the same harsh treatment, which he says was unfair.

A few weeks prior to Ramgeet and Mack being sentenced, a Canadian couple was charged with tampering with their geo-fencing wristbands (the same offence as Skylar) enabling them to break quarantine multiple times.

But the couple was fined $1,000 ($1,600 less than what Ramgeet and Mack had to pay) and opted to leave a few days ahead of their scheduled departure, with no custodial sentence.

Following Ramgeet and Mack’s release from prison, Police Commissioner Derek Byrne stated on multiple occasions during the government COVID-19 press conferences that people were still being caught in breach of the regulations.

However, only two other people who were convicted of breaching COVID regulations were incarcerated – Jamaican national Stephany Clarke, who was sentenced to four months in prison after flying to Cayman despite knowing she had tested positive for COVID-19; and Canadian Thomas Michael, who removed his wristband and used a pool, with his family and nanny, at the private residence where they were isolating.

“Everyone should be held accountable for their mistakes the same,” Ramgeet said. “I do feel it’s unfair… People that did the same exact thing [or] worse, [and] got to walk away with a slap on the wrist or $1,000 fines. What’s fair for one, should be fair for all.”

Ramgeet’s journey to success in the jet-ski world began some 20 years ago, when inspired by older brother Vance, who started jet-ski racing in 2003. Ramgeet, now 27, tried his hand at the sport in 2009. Since then, he has captured a boatload of trophies and medals at the national, regional and international level. Included in those laurels were two world titles – achievements of which only a handful of Caymanian riders can boast.

“[Vance] was one of the best at the time, which really pushed me to start racing and try to be as good as him,” Ramgeet said. “I have stuck with racing because I was raised to see my goals and believe in achieving them.”

In his most recent race, Ramgeet took fourth at a P1 AquaX event in Michigan City, Indiana in July.

“I held my own in the pro class, coming out just shy of the podium in fourth, which is still a great accomplishment in my eyes, going up against all the best in the world,” he said.

The P1 Pro racer has competed more than 100 times since starting in the sport, and he says he has never missed a P1 Aquax competition in five consecutive seasons.

“None of this would be possible without my family and sponsors Dmack Racing, Factory Yamaha USA, Fly Racing, Jettrim, Deans Team Racing and, of course, my beautiful wife Skylar Ramgeet.”

Though he is grateful for all of his accomplishments thus far while carrying his nation’s flag, he said his longevity in the sports could not have been possible without help.

He noted that his family saw his potential and supported him not only financially, but also through investing their time and effort in him.

Supporting the next generation

Acknowledging that he was lucky to receive “help financially of my entire family”, he pointed out there were others coming up that could use assistance.

“[There are] other [riders] that are great and, with that being said, I hope the government figures out a way to help these young Caymanians accomplish their goals and aspirations,” he said.

One of those ‘great’ athletes is up-and-coming Cline Glidden Jr., who was victorious at the P1 AquaX Amateur 300 last month.

Following Glidden’s race, Sports Minister Bernie Bush vowed that he and his ministry would look into ways to help elevate young Caymanian jet-skiers – something Ramgeet welcomes.

“We are a small dot on the map that is capable of greatness with the right amount of help,” he said.

While giving back to the young crop of Caymanian riders is something the long-time pro takes pride in, he is still carving out his own jet-skiing legacy.

“I plan to continue to climb the leader board this season and, by the end, be in that number one spot – claiming the US national title [and] then bring home my third world title trophy,” he said.

He added that his family saw his potential and supported him not only financially, but also through investing their time and effort in him, and encouraging him to push forward through life’s ups and downs.

Despite past mistakes and resulting notoriety, Ramgeet is looking ahead to better days as he strives for success in his family life and on the water.