Shocking footage shows tourists blasted away by plane at deadly airport spot

There's something thrilling about watching planes take off and land, which is exactly why so many people tend to try and get as close as possible to witness them.

However, get too close and you might be gone with the wind, as one group of tourists found out when they got behind of a plane.

Footage from social media shows a group of beachgoers enjoying the sun and sea of Sint Maarten, which is an island in the Caribbean.

Maho Beach is a little different, however, as its located right behind Princess Juliana International Airport, where a plane is about to make its ascent into the air.

At first, people are seen getting out their phones to capture the plane's takeoff before a big gust of wind from the jet hits them.

As the plane builds up power, people can be seen flying to and from, with some even getting pushed into the ocean.

Some make the decision to hold onto the chainlink fence, while the person behind the camera is also briefly knocked to the ground.

They then point out everyone's personal belongings being shot out to sea, exclaiming: "Look at all the people's stuff!"

While in this instance it appeared that no one had been hurt, there has been a past instance where one person lost their life after feeling the full force of a Boeing 737-800.

Insane jet blast at St. Martin Airport: a tourists get blown away by MD80 aircraft taking off. pic.twitter.com/7Q6AjQoC7k

— Out of Context Human Race (@NoContextHumans) May 11, 2025

Back in 2017, a tourist from New Zealand died after the force sent her flying into some concrete, leading her to hit her head, according to police.

Police went on to say that she had attempted to cling to the fence and was left 'seriously injured' before passing away in hospital shortly afterwards, The Guardian reported.

The island's tourism director, Rolando Brison, said to The New Zealand Herald that he'd spoken with the deceased's family, adding: "I met with the family of the deceased this evening and while they recognised that what they did was wrong, through the clearly visible danger signs, they regret that risk they took turned out in the worst possible way."

Signs around the airport warn people to stay away from the runways as jet blasts can cause 'severe physical harm and/or death', with police saying at the time that they visited the area regularly to discourage tourists from doing so.

They said: "The landing and taking-off of all types and size of aircraft at the international airport of St Maarten is well known worldwide as major tourist attraction.

"Many tourists come to the island to experience the thrills of the landing of approaching aircraft flying low above their heads and the holding on to the airport fence and standing in the jet blast of large aircraft taking off.

"Doing this is, however, extremely dangerous."