Are you considering traveling solo to Aruba? Or, are you wondering is Aruba safe for solo female travel? Here is everything you need to know about staying safe while solo traveling in Aruba.

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© Provided by This Rare Earth Is Aruba Safe for Solo Female Travel?

First and foremost, I completely understand your desire to check in and ask, is Aruba safe for solo travel?

After a very high-profile disappearance of a female traveler in Aruba back in 2005, this is a fair (and maybe even smart!) question to ask before booking your ticket. Is Aruba safe? Is it safe for solo females? Is it safe for solo travelers in general?

Let’s discuss the good, bad, and ugly on traveling safely in Aruba, below.

Is Aruba Safe for Solo Female Travel?

Aruba is a dream destination for many, conjuring images of unbelievable shades of turquoise water and soft white sand. Throw in some pink flamingos, mysterious caves, and desert hikes and you’ve got to admit – Aruba packs a big punch.

Families and honeymooners flock to this Caribbean island in the Lesser Antilles, and frankly, it’s easy to see why.

However, even us solo travelers can visit Aruba and have an extraordinary experience. I sure did! But I can certainly understand asking the question – is Aruba safe? – before you head out alone to the island.

Here is a complete guide on solo female travel in Aruba, featuring safety tips and information that will help your trip go swimmingly, from start to finish. (See what I did there?)

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Planning a Solo Trip to Aruba: The Basics.

What is the currency in Aruba?The official currency in Aruba is the Aruban Florin, however, US dollars are widely accepted.

In many establishments, it is possible to pay for items in USD. However, sometimes you will pay more than if you pay in Florins.

Most places will accept credit cards, too, so the best way to manage money (in my opinion) is to do the following: bring your card, carry some US dollars, and also pull out a small amount of Florin from the ATM if you want to get the best prices.

Note that if you pay in US dollars, your change may be given in both USD and AWG – such as dollars for notes and Florin for coins.

Do you need a visa for Aruba?Many countries can visit Aruba visa-free if your stay is less than 30 days. This does depend on your passport, so exact specifications can be checked here.

What language is spoken in Aruba?Dutch, English, and Papiamento are all widely spoken across Aruba. Papiamento is a mix of Spanish, English, African, Dutch, and Portuguese.

For ALL of the Aruba travel basics, like when to visit and what to see, check out my ultimate travel guide for Aruba.

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Solo Female Travel in Aruba

In general, Aruba is a very safe country to travel. In fact, it consistently ranks as one of the safest islands in the Caribbean.

Petty crimes do exist, though. Here is what to be aware of.

I rented a car in Aruba so that I could explore the island at any hour, and at any pace. However, rental cars are all marked as rentals, so petty thefts know right away that you are not a local by looking at the documentation on the car.

Don’t leave money, cameras, or purses in cars. Break ins are not unusual, even in the daytime. Armed robberies have also been reported in Aruba, but are nowhere near as common as petty theft.

I’d like to let you know that I traveled alone by car very early before sunrise as well as after sunset and encountered no problems or seemingly-dangerous folks.

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© Provided by This Rare Earth Sunrise on the rocky eastern shore. @thisrareearth

What to do if you encounter an emergency?

Call the police. For travelers from the USA, this will be easy to remember: the local emergency line is 911. I did see police vehicles here and there throughout my visit, and since Aruba is quite small in general, help can never be too far away.

I highly recommend saving your hotel phone number and address in your phone before you go out, just in case.

What to wear in Aruba as a solo female

Luckily, even as a solo female, you don’t need to be too concerned about a dress code in Aruba. Everyone, including locals, dress fairly casual and beachy attire is okay.

Now, as a side note, I wouldn’t recommend wearing a bikini anywhere other than the beach or pool, but that is advice I would provide for anywhere. This is simply to avoid unwanted attention.

I highly recommend checking out my complete Aruba Packing List, but for the sake of passing on some basics, here is what I recommend.

For beach days:

For hiking or exploring:

© Provided by This Rare Earth Is Aruba safe at night? Palm trees after sunset.

Is Aruba safe at night?

In Aruba, solo females (and all travelers, really) should use basic common sense. Don’t get too inebriated, have a plan on how to get back whether by taxi or rental car, and be cautious about your belongings and strangers.

Full disclosure, for the most part I was back to my hotel by 8 or 9pm so that I could wake up early, before sunrise. But yes, I did walk alone after dark as well as in the dark before sunrise, and had no safety issues whatsoever.

Just as you would at home, use common sense as far as what sort of attention you want to attract. Trust your gut.

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How to get around Aruba safely?

In Aruba, you have several options for transportation.

1. Renting a car. I previously mentioned that I did rent a car for my visit. This is because I wanted to travel during early hours and wanted to be in charge of my destinations. Renting a car was perfectly safe, but keep in mind that petty theft and break-ins are common.
2. Renting a Bicycle. This is a great option for local or fairly close trips! Say, if you are biking through Oranjestad or are biking to the beach. However, long bike rides would be grueling in the hot sun so don’t try it. Also, make sure you have a lock if you are leaving it aside while you spend the day at the beach.
3. Arubus. Arubus is the public transportation option in Aruba. It is pretty convenient for the main tourist areas. Timetables and current prices can be found here.
4. Taxis. Taxis are plentiful in Aruba. Prices are regulated by the government, so thankfully, you don’t have to worry about getting ripped off or haggling about pricing. If you are only planning a few excursions, taxis might be a great option. For me, it was much more cost effective to rent the car.

Is the water safe to drink in Aruba?

Yes! It is safe to drink the tap water in Aruba. Bring a refillable water bottle like this Hydro Flask. I love this type of bottle for keeping drinks cold all day long. Not only will this save you money, but you won’t be buying single-use plastic bottles all week.

What about hurricanes and tropical storms?

I’m happy to report that in general, Aruba is safe from these disasters, as well. The island is conveniently located outside of the Caribbean hurricane belt, meaning it does not tend to experience the same destruction as some of it’s unlucky neighbors.

There is typically more rain between late September to January, though I’ve not personally experienced anything like a monsoon here. Just short tropical showers and one lightning storm overnight.

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© Provided by This Rare Earth Arikok off into the distance. Is Aruba safe?

What to see as a solo traveler in Aruba?

There are so many things to do in Aruba, many of them outside of the main tourist area. This is why I made sure to have a car the whole time.

While the main beaches near Oranjestad are beautiful, I found some of the beaches to the south and north to be even more breathtaking. Check out the best beaches in Aruba and get a taste for each side of the island.

For my fellow desert enthusiasts, head to Arikok National Park. Here you will find views of over-packed cacti fields, white sand dunes, and rocky, jagged cliffs overlooking pristine beaches. It is a must-see in my opinion. One word of caution, this is a desert, so please plan ahead with the proper desert hiking essentials.

Of course, Flamingo Beach is a must-see.

If you are in need of a bit more general guidance on Aruba, check out this complete Aruba Travel Guide.

***

I hope this post has helped you feel more confident and capable for solo female travel in Aruba, because I personally found it to be a peaceful and relaxing place to be alone! I’m already planning another trip back because I genuinely enjoyed my trip.

Use your regular safety precautions, trust your gut, and have a wonderful time!

If you found this article useful, please consider sharing it or pinning it below!

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Linda and Dave Murray are speaking out nearly a year after losing their 13-year-old daughter Cassidy in a tubing accident in Aruba, hoping to prevent a similar tragedy from happening to anyone else.

"It's coming up on almost a year since she passed. And, you know, since day one -- our goal has always been to create awareness, to prevent another family from going through this," Linda Murray told "Good Morning America."

In March 2022, the Murrays took a family vacation, and a day before they were scheduled to go home, their daughter wanted to go tubing. Dave Murray joined his daughter tubing out in the water with Fun 4 Every 1, which advertised itself as giving "the best watersports adventure of Aruba."

Dave Murray said that five minutes into the ride, his daughter was ejected into the water. When they went to retrieve her, Dave Murray said the boat driver lost control.

"Good Morning America" airs at 7 a.m. ET on ABC.

"She was in the water, had a life jacket on. I waved at her. She was safe," Dave Murray said. "As [the boat driver] approached Cassidy, just as he got to her, he lost control of the boat. ... He pulled it in full throttle."

ABC News reached out to the owner of Fun 4 Every 1 for comment but has not received a response.

After the boat hit Cassidy, Dave Murray said the boat driver "froze" before helping him get his daughter back to shore.

"The gentleman driving the boat, he had no first aid," Dave Murray said. "If there was a second person on the boat, even if there was a spotter, he would have seen we would have had an option to slow it down or he would have seen as soon as Cassidy was ejected."

The prosecutor's office in Aruba reviewing the Murrays' case said it has found no criminal offense in Cassidy's death.

Prosecutors told ABC News in a statement, in part, that "many tourists engage in all kinds of water sports activities. Unfortunately, in the specific case, this led to a boating accident with a terrible outcome... There has been no evidence of a criminal offense and for that reason, the public prosecutor's office is not involved in the settlement and handling of this accident."

The Murrays said they've taken the case to the prime minister of Aruba and the tourism board in order to enact change.

Aruban officials told ABC News that "[t]he Government of Aruba takes seriously the safety and well-being of our visitors and residents," and they "assess a wide range of current and potential safety protocols and take steps to ensure our rules and procedures are adhered to."

Experts like Jim Emmons, the executive director of Water Sports Foundation, Inc., said that when booking excursions outside the U.S., use extra caution, including asking the company if it has a license and insurance, checking for safety equipment on board and making sure there's an observer watching people in the water.

"You want to have other folks that are on the boat also looking out at all times," Emmons said. "The regulations where you're going may not be the same as they are in [the U.S.] ... It's buyer beware. Be careful. Do your due diligence."

Linda Murray said her hope is that her daughter's story can help prevent deadly accidents in the future.

"My hope is that someone is standing at the edge of the beach and about to step on a boat and says, 'Wait, I remember that interview. Wait, remember what that family said? Maybe we should check for this. Maybe we should ask this question,'" she said.

The parents of a Massachusetts teenager who died after she was struck by a boat while tubing in Aruba last year are speaking out in the hopes of raising awareness and preventing further tragedies, according to local reports. 

Cassidy Murray, 13, was tubing in the Caribbean island in March 2022 when she fell into the water, according to several reports. The driver of the boat was approaching Cassidy when he "lost control" and struck the budding teen, said her father, Dave Murray, to ABC News. 

"She was in the water, had a life jacket on. I waved at her. She was safe," Murray told the news station. "As [the boat driver] approached Cassidy, just as he got to her, he lost control of the boat. ... He pulled it in full throttle."

NEW JERSEY AUTISTIC TEEN AND HIS MOM COULD NOT GET HOME FROM ARUBA FOR 3 WEEKS

The boat was not carrying any first aid materials, and no extra manpower to assist, Murray went on. 

"If there was a second person on the boat, even if there was a spotter, he would have seen we would have had an option to slow it down or he would have seen as soon as Cassidy was ejected."

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Local authorities reportedly determined there was no cause for criminal charges. The family is now working with Aruban authorities to spread awareness and stop similar tragedies before they start.

"We didn’t know the dangers. We weren’t aware. We want to create awareness," Linda Murray, Cassidy's mother, told WCVB.com. "If we can save one family, one child, we’ve honored Cass and created awareness."

Among efforts, the Murrays are reportedly asking Aruban officials to establish and enforce water safety protocols, such as mandating that a second person be added to support drivers on water sports vessels. 

Murray noted that her daughter "died so tragically, so unnecessarily."

"We quickly learned we have to participate in life even though we don’t want to," she told WCVB. "Our goal has always been to create awareness to prevent another family from going through this."

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Multiple GoFundMe pages were created to benefit Cassidy's family in the wake of her death.

The parents of a 13-year-old Massachusetts student who died last year in a tragic boating accident are working to educate others about waterfront safety.

"I open Facebook, and I see posts from neighbors and friends and family saying, 'We're heading to Aruba for spring break,' or 'We're thinking about Aruba,' and our hearts just break right away because we didn't know the dangers," Linda Murray, whose daughter Cassidy Murray died during a family trip to Aruba in March 2022, told The Patriot Ledger. "We weren't aware."

Cassidy's death occurred during a tube ride at Fun 4 Every 1 Watersports Aruba with her father, Dave Murray, according to ABC News.

In his recollection of the incident during a accurate sit-down interview with the outlet, he stated that his daughter fell into the water five minutes into the ride, and she was wearing a life jacket.

"I waved at her. She was safe," he added.

As he and the boat driver got close to her direction, he claimed that the boat driver lost control, "pulled it in full throttle" and hit Cassidy.

"The gentleman driving the boat, he had no first aid," he continued. "If there was a second person on the boat, even if there was a spotter, he would have seen we would have had an option to slow it down or he would have seen as soon as Cassidy was ejected."

A representative for the water sports adventure company did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

A description for the tubing experience found on their website states that the experience lasts for 15 minutes and that "the captain will listen to your requests" as you "fly, bounce, scream and have a blast while being pulled behind your boat in Aruba."

While there is currently no travel alert enacted, the State Department explains on their website that "the [Aruban] tourism industry is unevenly regulated, and safety inspections for equipment and facilities do not commonly occur. Hazardous areas/activities are not always identified with appropriate signage, and staff may not be trained or certified either by the host government or by recognized authorities in the field."

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After the prosecutor's office in Aruba found that there were was no criminal offense in Cassidy's death," according to ABC News, Dave and Linda tell the outlet that they are working to enact change and have taken Cassidy's case to the prime minister of Aruba and the country's tourism board.

"My hope is that someone is standing at the edge of the beach and about to step on a boat and says, 'Wait, I remember that interview. Wait, remember what that family said? Maybe we should check for this. Maybe we should ask this question,' " added Linda.

The parents of a Milton, Massachusetts, seventh-grade student, who died in a boating accident in Aruba nearly one year ago, are working to raise awareness about waterfront safety.Cassidy Murray died in March 2022 while vacationing with her family on the island."We didn’t know the dangers. We weren’t aware. We want to create awareness. If we can save one family, one child, we’ve honored Cass and created awareness," Cassidy's mother, Linda Murray, said.Cassidy's parents are now working with officials in Aruba when it comes to waterfront safety and awareness. "We quickly learned we have to participate in life even though we don’t want to. Our goal has always been to create awareness to prevent another family from going through this. She died so tragically, so unnecessarily," Linda Murray said. Cassidy was tubing when she was ejected into the water. Her family said the driver of the boat lost control and she was struck.“We received a death report and it was deemed an accident and no recklessness and negligence was involved,” Linda Murray said. “How do you run over someone and not operate a boat and a raft and not see that it was negligent and recklessness?” They are urging officials in Aruba to implement new safety protocols, which include adding a second employee to act as a spotter on boats operated by water sport companies.The family hopes their loss may help prevent future accidents.“My hope is someone is standing on the edge of the beach about to step on a boat and says, ‘Remember that family said maybe we should check for this? Or ask that question?’ We have a tendency to believe we will be fine. Nothing can happen,” Linda Murray said. The 13-year-old attended Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge.

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Friends always ask me, “How do you constantly afford to travel with your family to some amazing destinations?” My husband and I explain to them that while we’re not multi-millionaires, we are rich in another currency: travel rewards. Thanks to terrific sign-up bonuses and using the best credit card every time we make a purchase, I explain that just about anyone can embark on a family vacation nearly for free too.

My family of four recently traveled to Aruba for a full week in the sun over the December holidays. Our trip included a flight to Aruba with American Airlines, a flight home with Delta Air Lines, a five-night stay at the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort Spa and Casino and a two-night stay at the Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort. If we were to have paid cash, this seven-night trip would have cost us a grand total of $7,815. But, thanks to using travel rewards on the bulk of our trip, we were able to travel for just more than $200 out of pocket.

So how did we do it? And how can you accrue the necessary travel rewards to re-create a similar vacation? Here’s everything you need to know.

While each airline’s policy differs, many open their booking window a full 330 days in advance of travel. And if you’re looking to travel around a busy time period, such as the holidays or spring break, booking as far in advance as possible is the best way to use the fewest number of points. And since many airlines allow you to cancel award reservations for no fee, there’s often no harm in booking a flight even if your plans aren’t yet concrete.

This is precisely what I did. The day flights became available for the dates we wanted to travel to Aruba, I booked our outbound flight with American Airlines. Although the flight times were less than desirable, it cost me only 11,000 AAdvantage miles, plus $15.60 per person. For a total of just 44,000 miles and $62.40, I was able to book my family of four to Aruba. These one-way flights would have otherwise cost us a total of $1,064 if we didn’t use travel rewards, making our American Airlines miles worth over 2.2 cents apiece — a great redemption.

If you’re planning on flying with American Airlines, you should start accruing miles within the American Airlines AAdvantage loyalty program. Thanks to airline credit cards, you can be on your way to earning free flights in no time. And fortunately, American Airlines offers many credit cards within its program to earn valuable miles.

For example, you can earn between 10,000 and 65,000 miles with several American Airlines-branded cards to get you started. With the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, you can earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,500 within the first three months of account opening. Or, consider the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, which is offering 50,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 within the first three months of account opening.

Additionally, if you have the Bilt Rewards credit card, you can transfer points earned at a 1-to-1 ratio to American Airlines. This is one of the few transferable programs that partners with American, making it a great option if you’re looking for a flexible credit card. Bilt is also one of the best credit cards for paying rent.

About four weeks prior to our vacation, Delta’s nonstop flight home from Aruba dropped significantly in cost: 9,000 Delta SkyMiles, plus $73 in taxes and fees, or $160 per passenger. I opted for paying the $160 price per passenger since I had a $500 Delta voucher from a prior flight fiasco. This means I only spent a grand total of $140 for all four of us to fly home from Aruba — an absolute steal especially during such a busy time period.

If I didn’t have the $500 Delta voucher, I still would have paid for the ticket, since redeeming Delta SkyMiles for this particular ticket wouldn’t have been a great value. Because the taxes and fees alone were $73 per passenger, I would’ve spent 9,000 miles per person to ultimately save $87.

Another alternative would have been to use the Chase travel portal to book the flight and redeem Ultimate Rewards points earned from the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® credit cards. With these credit cards, you can redeem points at a fixed rate where the points are worth between 1.25 and 1.5 cents apiece, depending on the card.

But if you find a flight where redeeming Delta miles is worthwhile, you’ll find accruing Delta miles to be incredibly easy. With seven Delta-branded credit cards, you can accrue Delta SkyMiles in little to no time.

Additionally, Delta is a transfer partner of the American Express Membership Rewards program, which opens up even more opportunities to earn Delta miles. For example, once you earn the 60,000 points after spending $4,000 within the first six months of card membership with the American Express® Gold Card, these points can then be transferred directly to your Delta Sky Miles account at a 1-to-1 ratio.

5-night stay at the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort Spa and Casino

My family has stayed at the Hyatt Regency Aruba in the past and we loved it, so there was no doubt in our mind that we wanted to stay at this property again. It’s one of the more luxurious resorts on Palm Beach and features a three-tier pool complex, a two-story waterslide, a swim-up bar, complimentary beach palapas and numerous kids activities. But pricing can be through the roof and award availability can be tough to come by, so you need to be flexible and plan far in advance. Fortunately, I booked early and I was able to snag a five-night award stay at this property.

With the World of Hyatt award chart, point redemptions are fixed based on their category, but there’s also peak and off-peak pricing depending on the time of year you’re looking to travel. Peak pricing was in full effect during our winter break vacation, thus costing 29,000 World of Hyatt points per night. Although we spent a total of 145,000 points for the stay, this was significantly better than the jaw-dropping $4,907 if we paid out of pocket — a terrific redemption.

To step it up a level, we were able to apply a Hyatt Suite Upgrade Award to our reservation, allowing us to stay in a two-bedroom suite — a king bed in one room and a bunk bed in the other. That award was thanks to our top-tier Hyatt Globalist status, which we earned with the help of our World of Hyatt Credit Card. With this card, you’ll receive complimentary Discoverist elite status and then earn two elite-qualifying nights toward status for every $5,000 you spend. Not only did this credit card perk help allow us to earn — and redeem — a suite upgrade at this property through Globalist status, but it also granted us complimentary breakfast, club lounge access and two free floats per day.

In addition to the World of Hyatt Credit Card, you can also earn Hyatt points through one of the many Chase Ultimate Rewards credit cards, as points transfer to 14 different travel partners, including Hyatt, at a 1-to-1 ratio. This includes the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. Or, if you have one of the no-annual cards, such as the Chase Freedom Flex℠ or Chase Freedom Unlimited®, and pair it with a premium Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning card, you can then transfer your points to Hyatt at the same 1-to-1 ratio.

This means if you were to apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred and earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months, those can be transferred to become 60,000 World of Hyatt points. As a Category 6 property, the Hyatt Regency Aruba ranges from 21,000 to 29,000 points per night, allowing you to redeem your 60,000 points for two to three nights at an incredible Caribbean resort. Hyatt also waives all resort fees when you redeem your points, which means you truly won’t have to pay any out-of-pocket fees — another perk of using points versus paying the cash rate.

We split up our Aruba vacation for two reasons: The Hyatt Aruba only had award availability for five nights and we wanted to try something new. This led us directly to the Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort — a property in a completely different area with its own private island. And since Renaissance is part of Marriott, it was quite easy to stay for free using Marriott Bonvoy points.

The resort is located in Oranjestad, the capital of Aruba, offering two different properties: an adults-only property and a family-friendly property that are about a five-minute walk from each other. The family-friendly location offers a large pool complex, a sandy beach and a lagoon for swimming. Despite being right in the capital, the property offers a true resort feel, with a swim-up bar, restaurant and many loungers (both at the pool and the beach). The adults-only property is right in the marina, offering its own pool and access to the family-friendly pool and beach. From both the family-friendly and adults-only resort locations, there’s a ferry that will take you to Renaissance Island, the resort’s 40-acre private island where you can feed flamingos and iguanas, go snorkeling and just truly relax.

During our stay, the hotel cost 60,000 points per night, but for the suite (which is the only option when traveling with a family), there’s an upcharge of either 15,000 points or $80 per night. I opted to pay the entire amount in points, costing us 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy points in total for our two-night stay. The cash rate for our two-night stay would have cost us $1,204 in total. However, you might find even more value when redeeming points for a five-night stay at a property like the Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba since Marriott offers the fifth night free for award redemptions.

Marriott’s own co-branded credit cards offer great opportunities to increase your account balance. With five different credit card options, there’s bound to be a card that works best for your needs — all while earning Marriott points. For example, with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, you’ll receive a free night award on your cardmember anniversary year, which is valid at a property up to 85,000 points per night. Plus, the card comes with an enticing welcome bonus offer of 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after spending $5,000 in purchases in the first three months.

Ultimately, my family had an amazing vacation for a grand total of just $202.40 for flights and hotels out of pocket. Thanks to travel rewards and a flight voucher, we were able to save nearly $8,000 on the price tag of this vacation. While we’ve been accruing travel rewards for well over a decade, it’s never too late to start. With the right credit card and some strategic planning, you can also take an unbelievable trip in the near future at little to no cost.

Looking for a travel credit card? Find out which cards CNN Underscored chose as our best travel credit cards currently available.

Dancing Queen! Maxima of the Netherlands wows Aruba crowds with her moves as she joins King Willem-Alexander and Princess Catharina-Amalia at a Caribbean carnival

By Harriet Johnston For Mailonline

Published: 03:52 EST, 1 February 2023 | Updated: 11:21 EST, 1 February 2023

Linda and Dave Murray are speaking out nearly a year after losing their 13-year-old daughter Cassidy in a tubing accident in Aruba, hoping to prevent a similar tragedy from happening to anyone else.

"It's coming up on almost a year since she passed. And, you know, since day one -- our goal has always been to create awareness, to prevent another family from going through this," Linda Murray told "Good Morning America."

In March 2022, the Murrays took a family vacation, and a day before they were scheduled to go home, their daughter wanted to go tubing. Dave Murray joined his daughter tubing out in the water with Fun 4 Every 1, which advertised itself as giving "the best watersports adventure of Aruba."

Dave Murray said that five minutes into the ride, his daughter was ejected into the water. When they went to retrieve her, Dave Murray said the boat driver lost control.

"She was in the water, had a life jacket on. I waved at her. She was safe," Dave Murray said. "As [the boat driver] approached Cassidy, just as he got to her, he lost control of the boat. ... He pulled it in full throttle."

ABC News reached out to the owner of Fun 4 Every 1 for comment but has not received a response.

After the boat hit Cassidy, Dave Murray said the boat driver "froze" before helping him get his daughter back to shore.

"The gentleman driving the boat, he had no first aid," Dave Murray said. "If there was a second person on the boat, even if there was a spotter, he would have seen we would have had an option to slow it down or he would have seen as soon as Cassidy was ejected."

The prosecutor's office in Aruba reviewing the Murrays' case said it has found no criminal offense in Cassidy's death.

Prosecutors told ABC News in a statement, in part, that "many tourists engage in all kinds of water sports activities. Unfortunately, in the specific case, this led to a boating accident with a terrible outcome... There has been no evidence of a criminal offense and for that reason, the public prosecutor's office is not involved in the settlement and handling of this accident."

The Murrays said they've taken the case to the prime minister of Aruba and the tourism board in order to enact change.

Aruban officials told ABC News that "the Government of Aruba takes seriously the safety and well-being of our visitors and residents," and they "assess a wide range of current and potential safety protocols and take steps to ensure our rules and procedures are adhered to."

Experts like Jim Emmons, the executive director of Water Sports Foundation, Inc., said that when booking excursions outside the U.S., use extra caution, including asking the company if it has a license and insurance, checking for safety equipment on board and making sure there's an observer watching people in the water.

"You want to have other folks that are on the boat also looking out at all times," Emmons said. "The regulations where you're going may not be the same as they are in [the U.S.] ... It's buyer beware. Be careful. Do your due diligence."

Linda Murray said her hope is that her daughter's story can help prevent deadly accidents in the future.

"My hope is that someone is standing at the edge of the beach and about to step on a boat and says, 'Wait, I remember that interview. Wait, remember what that family said? Maybe we should check for this. Maybe we should ask this question,'" she said.

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