Police have launched an investigation into claims that a woman broke her back while riding on the pleasure boat Wild Cat.

Marine Police are heading up the investigation and are busy taking statements from those involved in the alleged incident on Sunday, September 15.

Police spokesman Dwayne Caines said: "We have launched an investigation into the alleged injury on the Wild Cat. The inquiry is in its infancy and we are still talking to those people involved."

The Royal Gazette reported yesterday how Jeanne Legere, 51, claimed she had suffered a fractured vertebrae when the boat hit waves on the South Shore.

As a result, the dance teacher, who suffers with early stages of osteoporosis, spent five days in hospital and must now wear a body brace for nine months. The injury could take up to 18 months to heal.

The mother-of-three, from Pembroke, said she believed the safety precautions on the boat were not good enough, and said the boat was going too fast for the sea swell at the time.

"I was wearing a Velcro seatbelt around my waist, but there was nothing to support my shoulders, so I was jerking forwards and backwards - it was unreal," said Mrs. Legere.

"I literally heard my back break and then the pain was horrendous. I'm very lucky; I could have been paralysed."

Mrs. Legere said her husband Bob was now seeking legal advice.

However, Edward Lawrence, who has operated the pleasure boat with members of his family for three years, disputed that Mrs. Legere broke her back on the boat.

He said his insurers were looking into the situation to see if Mrs. Legere had some kind of pre-existing condition when she got on the two-hour fun ride, which is likened to a roller coaster and comes with a disclaimer warning against it for pregnant women, children under four and anyone with conditions that could be adversely affected by the speed.

But Mr. Lawrence said despite the disclaimer, the Wild Cat was a smooth ride, regardless of how fast it went.

He said: "I don't know if she damaged her back on the Wild Cat, but she complained of a sore back on the Wild Cat.

"We don't think that the Wild Cat caused any injury for Mrs. Legere. The boat has certainly been out in worse conditions and everyone has been fine. The conditions that day were normal.

"In the three years we have been operating, we have taken thousands of passengers and never had anything like this happen before."

Mr. Lawrence said it was one of the strongest boats in the world and could easily cut through waves without any danger to passengers.

And he said after Mrs. Legere was taken to hospital, about 80 percent of the passengers were called and asked how they had found the ride.

He said all of them said the ride had been fine, and some even booked to go again the next day.