Propeller Accidents 2010

Media coverage of 2010 recreational boat propeller accidents.

If you are aware of coverage of a 2010 propeller accident that is not reported here, please contact us.

Fatal accidents are coded immediately in front of the reporting data as:
D indicates the first coverage on this page of a U.S. fatality occurring this year
D indicates a fatality outside the U.S.

31 December 2010 ABC Mid North Coast NSW (Australia) “Man in Critical Condition After Being Struck by Boat Propeller” reports A resident near the Hastings River at Wauchope west of Port Macquarie NSW Australia noticed an aluminum runabout boat circling with no one one board in the circle of death about 4pm December 30th. They alerted a fishing boat that found a man floating in the water with serious head injuries. He had been struck in the face by the boat’s propeller. The man was airlifted to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle in critical condition.
Wauchope Gazette identified the injured man as P. Jones age 59 and says he was pulled from the Hastings River near King Creek. Mr. Jones suffered head lacerations and injured both of his eyes.
10 December 2010 Herald Sun (Australia reporting on an accident in New Zealand) “Aussie Tourist Slashed by Boat Propeller” reports a woman, age 49 from Australia, was on a Dolphin Watch Ecotours trip in the Marlborough Sounds near the top of the South Island about 10:30 am December 10th. Reports say she was told it was ok to jump off the back of the boat, she did, began to swim with the dolphins, and was hit by its propeller. She received deep cuts to her legs and was life flighted to Wellington Hospital for surgery.
The New Zealand Herald identified her as Catherine Carlyle from Adelaide. It says the accident happened at Waikawa Bay, Picton.
9MSN reports she was struck by the propeller as it was winding down. The group was going to go snorkelling with the dolphins, and he injuries included fractures.
Other reports identify the injured woman, Catherine Carlyle, as Dr. Catherine Pye an environmental activist from Gambier South Australia.
17 Nov 2010 Stabroek News (Guyana) “Second Miner Dies After Barama River Tree Crash” reports
an accident in which a tree was knocked by an excavator into a mining pit on the Upper Barama River in the North West District on Monday 15 November. That accident has now claimed its second life. Additionally, on Monday night 15 November about 8:30pm S. Allen / Alleyn (a brother of one of the miners that was injured) hired a boat and was in transit to the accident site when the boat hit a tree in the river. He and two others were trying to reach Port Kaituma from Moruca to help in transporting his brother and others injured to Georgetown. Allen was sitting in the bow, the boat reached an area known as the “’99”, (other reports say it hit a tree in the water), the boat capsized, started circling in the water in the circle of death, he was struck in the left foot by the propeller, bleeding a lot at the hospital he was taken back to Moruca for treatment, then life flighted to Georgetown Hospital. S. Alleyn’s brother was one of the two miners that later died from their injuries in the mining accident.
A young boy was killed in a propeller accident in which the outboard struck a tree and flew up into a small boat on the same river in July 2009.
D 10 November 2010 Cyprus Accident – Daily Post (United Kingdom) “Colleagues’ Tribute to North Wales RAF Airman” reports Scott Hughes, 20 year old RAF Senior Aircraftman from Felinheli, was struck and killed by the propeller of “power boat operated by the Military Training Wing, British Forces Cyprus and the Ministry of Defence” on Sunday 7 November in Cyprus while he was swimming. He had been serving in Afghanistan. Hughes was on a “decompression exercise” with his unit and scheduled to fly home to his family the next day.
8 November 2010 The Rockhampton Morning Bulletin (Australia) “Boat Propeller Injures Woman on GKI” reports a woman was injured by a boat propeller about 9:30 am Saturday 7 November and was evaced from Fishermans Beach on Great Keppel Island to Yeppoon. She was then taken by ambulance to Rockhampton Hospital. Early reports say she was standing close to a boat.
1 November 2010 WSVN (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Florida) “Elderly Man Cuts Foot on Dive Boat” reports a 65 year old male was on the back of dive boat near 101 N. Riverside Drive in Pompano Beach Florida today (1 November). The propeller was not moving. He dove in and cut his foot on the propeller. The man was taken to North Broward Medical Center.
D Commercial Vessel – 18 Oct 2010 Cayman Informed (Cayman Islands) “Man Killed by Boat Propeller” reports a 59 year old sailor from Cuba was in Grand Town Harbor on Grand Cayman Island on Saturday October 16. About 9:45 am was working on a tug boat, it received clearance to come to shore, he dove in to untangle a rope from a buoy, and was struck by the tug’s propeller. Others on board dove in, brought him to the surface. He had suffered “serious lacerations to his neck and body.”
DD 13 October Accident Date – Spain – 18 October 2010 Elomundo.es Galicia “Fallecen dos submarinistas y un tercero resulta herido tras volcar su embarcacion”reports in Spanish or you can enter the URL of that site into http://translate.google.com to machine translate it into your language of choice. The machine translation is a bit rough but indicates three divers went out for deep sea fishing on Saturday 13 October in the Ria de Muros y Noia. About 3:30 am between launch and Cape Corrubedo Xuno about two miles off shore they were ejected and the boat began to circle. Two of the men that were ejected, both professional divers and both 26 years old, were struck in the head by the propeller and killed. Civil Defence sources in Porto do Son, explained that the experts who use this type of boat have indicated that a fault in the engine controls allegedly caused them to lose control of the boat, which made it revolve “too fast” (circle of death) and the crew fell into the sea.”
A big thanks to one of our readers in Spain for pointing out this accident to us.
13 October 2010 Accident Date – 28 October 2010 Clarion Ledger (Jackson Mississippi) “Man Survives Boater’s Worst Nightmare” reports Don Drane, 63 year old male, put his new 15 horse outboard on his 30 year old rebuilt john boat and took at Twin Harbors on Barnett Reservoir near his home in Madison. He went down to the Main Harbor, then on his way back near the opening to Twin Harbors, he noticed his boat plug was leaking. He switched hands on his tiller as he reached for the plug, something happened and he was airborne without a life jacket. When he came up out of the water, the boat was circling and bearing down on him. He threw his arms in front of his face and was struck by the propeller. He was cut on his arms and head, bleeding, the boat still circling, tried to swim to shore and eventually realized he was too far out. He gave up, started to sink, then he hit bottom and realized he might be close to shallow enough water that he could swim to it and stand. He was able to swim to a place he could stand, walk to the shore, and crawl out. A patrol boat came by, saw his circling boat, and he was able to attract their attention. Drane was taken to University Medical Center.
11 October 2010 The Garden Island (Kauai and Niijau Hawaii) “Evslin: I Was Pretty Sure I Was Dying” reports Luke Evslin of Kauai was competing in the Molokai Hoe canoe race on Sunday 10 October. He was jumping from the escort boat to the canoe as part of a three man crew exchange to a six man canoe, the escort boat hit a wave, he was ejected and struck by the boat and propeller. At first he thought the propeller cut him in half and he was dying. They managed to get him back into the escort boat. The ocean was too rough to airlift him from the escort boat, so they had to spend about an hour getting back to Hale O Lono Harbor on Molokai. He was taken to Molokai General Hospital, then life flighted to Maui Memorial Medical Center because the weather was to bad to go to Honolulu. Three surgeons worked on him at once. He had wounds to his back, a “knicked” spine, broken pelvis, and bruised kidney. By Monday, he was in stable condition and granted this interview.
D Airboat – 9 October 2010 Accident Date – 18 October 2010 The Ledger (Lakeland Florida) “Winter Haven Woman Killed in Airboat Collision”reports two airboats collided on October 9th in a canal that joins Lake Tiger with Lake Kissimmee. The airboats were approaching each other head on. The boat operators steered away from each other, but the airboats slid into one another. Jessica Wallace, a 23 year old female, was a passenger on of the airboats. She was struck on her left side by an airboat propeller that went thru its cage system and died at the scene.
D 6 October 2010 KSDK5 (St. Louis Missouri) “Elderly Man Falls From Boat and Dies at Lake Taneycomo” reports a Tuesday October 5 accident on Lake Taneycomo (a cold water lake in the Ozarks in southwest Missouri). Roberts Bastron, an 84 year old male from Bettendorf, was a passenger in a small utility boat, the boat struck a wake, the operator lost control, Mr. Bastron was ejected, his shirt became caught in the propeller (entrapped in the prop), he was unable to surface, family members finally got him out of the water, but he was pronounced dead at the scene (the one mile marker near Forsythe in Taney County).
Missouri State Water Patrol News Release N07100239 reports the accident happened about 3pm, it was a G3 utility boat, the deceased was from Bettendorf Iowa, and the boat operator was from California.
21 September 2010 Phuket Wan (Thailand) “Phuket Dive Tourist Dragged Along by Speedboat” reports A. Alharmoodi, a male tourist snorkeling off Racha Yai yesterday (21 September), was struck by a speedboat and dragged for 300 meters before the boat stopped. The speedboat captain finally stopped, dislodged the diver, and told him he would have to pay for any damages to his boat. The diver, less than a meter underwater when the boat passed over him as he dove with a group of divers, lost his fins, mask and snorkel, and his weights were struck by the propeller. He was also badly bruised. The accident happened about 45 minutes south of Phuket by speedboat.
A local commenting on the article wrote, “Accidents between boats and divers/swimmers seem to happen more often in these waters than gets reported in the press. The “marine telegraph” is always abuzz with reports like this one, and some much more serious.”
15 September 2010 – We spotted about a 13 September 2010 prop accident in Kentucky or Georgia on Facebook to a D. Beam? We will attempt to get more details.
D? 12 September 2010 Telegraph (United Kingdom) “Girl, 11, Dies After Falling Off Banana Boat” reports Mari-Simon Cronje, an 11 year old girl from Barnes, south of London, was a guest at a friend’s birthday on Saturday afternoon September 11th at Princes Club in Bedfont, Middlesex. She was on the lake enjoying a banana boat ride (a towed sled) when the towboat made a sharp turn she fell. It was not clear if she was struck by the towboat during the sharp turn or by its propellers when it tried to stop or turn to rescue her. Princes Club is a major European water sports facility with five lakes. The young girl “suffered massive injuries, predominately to the lower part of her body.” This accident has not yet been positively identified as a prop accident.

Monday September 6 – Labor Day Weekend Ends

D 6 September 2010 (Monday – Labor Day) Wetumpka Herald (Wetumpa Alabama) “Woman Dies in Early-Morning Lake Martin Accident” reports Ashley Williams, a 26 year old woman that moved from Virginia to Elmore County two months ago, was in a boat with 8 to 10 other people out in open water on Lake Martin. She was thrown from the bow and struck by the propeller a little before 3 a.m. Monday morning September 6th. She was taken to Anchor Bay Marina to meet emergency personnel.
10 September 2010 WSFA12 report identified the vessel as a pontoon boat.
5 September 2010 Accident Date – 11 October 2010 CBS12 News (West Palm Beach Florida) “Father Offers Reward to Catch Boater Who Ran Over Son” reports John DeLeonibus, 22 year old male, was snorkeling at Boca Raton in South Inlet Park with two friends on Sunday September 5th. A boat came flying through, hit the dive flag, and hit John. He “suffered a skull fracture, a broken hip, and cuts to his head and back from the boat propeller.” Four to six people were on the hit and run boat. John’s father, Dr. John DeLeonibus, is putting up a $20,000 reward for for information leading to the identity of those involved.
5 September 2010 Accident Date – Oklahoma – we heard from a family member of a A. Gilbert, female, being struck by a propeller on Lake Thunderbird on Sunday evening 5 September. She was exiting the boat from the rear, thought the motor was off because the boat was stopped, the prop was put in gear, her legs were sucked in, and the motor was turned off. She was taken by ambulance to Norman Regional Hospital with severe injuries to both legs and taken immediately into surgery. We followed up with the Lake Patrol to make sure the accident was recorded.

Saturday 4 September – Labor Day Weekend Begins

30 August 2010 MyFox9 (Twin Cities Minnesota) “Man Cut by Boat Prop in Jet Ski Crash” reports B. Samborski, 22 year old male from Brooklyn Park was riding a jet ski in Lake Freemont in Zimmerman about 6:50pm Saturday 28 August. He was struck by a boat, cut badly on his leg, and life flighted to North Memorial Medical Center with “a severe cut to his lower left leg.” Investigators report he went under the boat and “appeared to have been hit by the propeller.”
30 August 2010 Miami Herald (Florida) “FWC Officer Injured in North Florida Boat Accident” reports Billy Giles, a 34 year old state wildlife officer, was patrolling the Santa Fe River in his 16 foot boat on Saturday evening August 28th. He released the steering wheel to grab his hat that was about to blow off, the boat swerved to the right, he was ejected, the boat began to circle, he “was pulled under and struck by the propeller.” Giles was able to walk to a nearby boat ramp and was taken to a Gainsville Hospital. The report says he joined FWC in 2001 (9 years on the job).
A Gainsville Sun report of the same date indicates Giles is an FWC K9 (dog) officer. His boat was a 16 foot Scandy White powered by a 75 hp motor. He was taken by ambulance to Shands Hospital at the University of Florida.
30 August 2010 CTV News (British Columbia Canada) “Kayaker Needs Surgery After Being Hit by Boat” reports a man from Okanagan was kayaking on Okanagan Lake between Peachland and Rattlesnake Island on Saturday 28 August. His kayak was ran over by a powerboat and he “received serious gashes to his legs and rib cage” from the boat’s propeller.
29 August 2010 Accident Date – Virginia Beach Virginia – Reported by Family Member – K. Austin, approx. 24 year old male from Portsmouth Virginia, was boat fishing with friends at Virginia Beach Virginia on Sunday 29 August. He jumped into the water came back to board the boat using the ladder, his foot slipped and hit the propeller. He was taken by ambulance to Sentura VB General with a severed tendon and about a six inch cut. They report he is now in a cast for about 6 weeks, after which he is to undergo therapy.
27 August 2010 Accident Date – 18 September 2010 Deseret News “BYU Student Credits Faith for Surviving Boat Mishap” reports Dane Brock, 24 year old Brigham Young University student, was on vacation swimming in Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland on August 27th. His wife, watching from the beach, saw a boat strike him and called 911. He had been struck by the propeller and was taken to West Virginia University’s Jon Michael Moore Trauma Center. “The propeller had ripped through Brock’s abdomen and leg, breaking the top of his femur and slicing his thigh from inside middle around to the top of his glutes.”
27 August 2010 BBC (United Kingdom) “Father and Son Hit by Boat Propeller in Pentewan” reports a 41 year old father and his 25 year old son frin Stoke-on-Trent were in a 17 foot (5 meter) Dory off Pentewan Sands, near Mevagissey in Cornwall about 3:20 pm today (27 August). The boat struck bottom, ejected them, began to circle, and they were “run over twice by the boat’s outboard motor.” They suffered head and leg injuries and were taken to Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro. The older man was life flighted and his son was taken by ambulance. “They had both been hit by the boat’s propeller.”
30 August This is Staffordshire identifies the injured as I. Cope (age 41) and his nephew, T. Cope (age 15).
26 August 2010 LEX18 (Lexington Kentucky) “Man Hurt in Boating Accident in Laurel County” reports a man in his 40’s was returning from fishing on Laurel River Lake about 7:45 am this morning (26 August). He pulled the drain plug and fell overboard. The boat began to circle and “the boat prop hit both his lower legs”. In addition to cuts to both his lower legs, he may have broken his ankle. He was taken by ambulance to medical care.
The male victim was later identified as J. Mayne, age 49 of Berea.
Other reports indicate the man grabbed on to the circling boat from the water in an attempt to reboard, it pulled him along and his legs swung back into the propeller, and he let go of the boat.
23 August 2010 Wane.com (Fort Wayne Indiana) “Boat Prop Injures Man on Lake James” reports G.H. Smith, a 50 year old male from Dewitt Michigan, was in a boat on the first basin of Lake James about 1:30pm Sunday 22 August. Some ropes between the tubes and the boat became tangled. He went to the stern, untangled them, threw them into the water and told the boat operator to give the boat some gas (trying to lay the ropes out straight behind the boat). When the boat began to move forward, he fell over the stern and “his right leg struck the moving propeller.” A nearby boat towed the boat involved in the accident to the docks at Potawatami Inn (Pokagon State Park). Mr Smith was treated at the scene, taken to Cameron Hospital, then moved to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne.
21 August 2010 Channel 3000 (Madison Wisconsin) “Boat Crash Injures 2 on Lake Waubesa” reports a 21 year old male was operating an 18 foot Pro Craft Family Fisher 180 with five passengers on Lake Waubesa about 6:30 pm Saturday 21 August. The boat operator made an abrupt turn, two people in the bow were pitched overboard and both were struck by the propeller. D. L. Wallace (21 year old male from McFarland) and K.A. Muetzelburg, 21 year old male from Wauwatosa) were both struck by the prop. Wallace had severe injuries, Muetzelburg had hand injuries. Both were taken to University of Wisconsin Hospital.
21 August 2010 Vanguard (Nigeria) “Bayelsa Gov’s Aide, 4 Others Escape Death” reports 5 people, including the Bayelsa governor’s aide, were in a boat some distance from the Government House jetty in the Yenagoa Waterways of Bayelsa (a state in southern Nigeria). While trying to catch up with another boat, their boat exploded and caught fire. A boy that tried to join the rescue team “was injured by the boat’s propeller.”
Possible Prop Accident – 17 August 2010 Accident Date – Massachusetts accident – 19 January 2014 Beaumont Enterprise (Texas) “Mass. Man Appeals Conviction in Boy’s Death” reports a power boat hit a kayak containing a 10 year old boy (Gus Adamopoulos) and his father. They were fishing together on Norwich Lake at Huntington 17 August 2010. The boy’s left arm was amputated and his lung was punctured as his father tried unsuccessfully to save him. The power boat operator was pulling a friend on skis. Prosecutors earlier argued to boat operator was impaired. Massachusetts Supreme Court will hear the case in February 2014. Boat propellers are not specifically mentioned, but it sounds like the boy’s injuries could be the result of being struck by a propeller and a 20 January 2014 Home News Here report has a photo of the “propeller-chopped kayak”.
Not a Propeller Accident – 16 August 2010 News5 (Ft.Smith-Fayetteville Arkansas reports an Oklahoma accident) “Snyder Man Drowns in Pond After Boat Propeller Knocks Him Unconscious” reports on a Saturday 14 August accident at a Sand & Gravel Company dredge pond. Although several news reports indicated a propeller was involved, a family member of the deceased contacted us 19 July 2011 confirming it was not a propeller accident so we removed the additional details including the young man’s name.
D 15 August 2010 Accident Date – 27 August 2010 WSMV (Nashville Tennessee) reports Holly Nelson, a 25 year old young woman missing since an August 15th boating accident on Percy Priest Lake during a company retreat “died from being hit in the head by a boat propeller” per the coroner.
Earlier WSMV coverage indicates the group had spent the 15th swimming from two rented pontoon boats. When they headed back in about 6pm they noticed she was not with them. Her body was found August 25th.
Other reports police say cooler water in deeper parts of the lake kept her body from surfacing earlier.
13 August 2010 JC Online (Lafayette- West Lafayette Indiana) “In Brief” reports from Monticello Indiana of a 17 year old girl tubing on Lake Shafter yesterday (12 August) about 5:30pm. While trying to climb back into the boat, she “suffered multiple lacerations to the left leg and foot” from the boat’s propeller. She was taken to Clarian Arnett Hospital.
D 9 August 2010 MLive.com (Michigan) “Belding Boy Dies After Slipping Off Boat, Hit by Propeller” reports Dean Austin Goodlin, an 8 year old boy from Belding, was on Hardy Pond near Big Bend Park in Newaygo County’s Big Prairie Township about 4:40 pm today (9 August) in a pontoon boat with eight members of his family. He was riding in the front, dangling his feet in the water while the pontoon boat was underway, fell, and was struck by the propeller. His family got him back in the boat, took him to the launch, and were met by rescue workers who were unable to revive him. He was dead at the scene.
9 August 2010 Regina Leader-Post (Saskatchewan Canada) “Female Run Over by Boat on Buffalo Pound Lake; Male Operator Facing Charges” reports an unnamed 23 year old young woman had been in a boat on Buffalo Pound Lake. About 6pm, Saturday 7 August, she exited the boat (the report is unclear if she just got out or fell out), was ran over by the boat, and “struck by the propeller.” She was taken to Moose Jaw Hospital.
8 August 2010 The Independent (United Kingdom reporting a Wales accident) “Donut Ride Man in Propeller Horror” reports a man was tubing behind a boat on Aberdovey Estuary in Dyfed, Wales yesterday 7 August. He fell, the boat came back to pick him up, he was struck by the propeller “and suffered serious gashes to his lower back and legs.” They got him back on board, RLNI towed them to Ynya Las Beach Near Borth, they were met by an ambulance and paramedics tended to him, he was them life flighted to a hospital.
Other reports indicate the man was 48 or 49 years old, and taken to Ysbytv Gwynedd Hospital in Bangor.
7 August 2010 Portland Press Herald (Portland Maine) “Brooklin Man Injured in Boating Accident” reports W. Cohen, 63 year old male from Brooklin, was in a boat with his daughter and 2 friends leaving Naskeag Point today (7 August) headed to Harbor Island. A wave hit the boat and all four onboard were ejected. The boat started circling about 150 to 200 yards off shore. A nearby boat fouled the prop with lobster lines to stop it, “but not before the propeller severely lacerated his leg.” He was life flighted to Eastern Maine Medical Center. The boat was an 18 foot Boston Whaler.
D 5 August 2010 NBC40 (Atlantic City New Jersey) “Police ID Man Killed in Brigantine Boating Accident” reports Norman Lasker, age 40 from New Rochelle New York, was in a 16 foot skiff in the back of the bay off Brigantine Beach New Jersey on Wednesday 4 August about 3:15 pm. The boat made a hard turn, he went overboard, his body was found about a mile away, taken to shore by a USCG helicopter, and he was declared dead. It “appears Lasker was hit several times by the boat’s propeller…”
Later reports identify the man as Noam Lasker, age 41, he and a friend rented the boat, the friend was operating the boat, made a hard left turn, Noam went overboard, and was struck by the prop.
D 4 August 2010 WFAA-TV (Dallas – Fort Worth Texas) “Divers Pull Body of Missing Boater from Grapevine Lake” reports a 27 year old male from Justin jumped or fell from a boat on Grapevine lake about 8:30 pm Tuesday evening August 3. The accident happened about 400 feet off Oak Grove Park. His body was recovered this morning (August 4) about 11:30 am about 100 yards from the Dove Loop Boat Ramp.
5 August 2010 Dallas Morning News reports Andy Hinds “died Tuesday night when he was struck in the head by a boat’s propeller” per Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office.
D 3 August 2010 The Freeport News (Grand Bahama Island in the Bahamas) “Tragedy at Sea” reports a family from the West End was off Old Bahama Bay, about 20 miles north of Memory Rock on Monday 2 August over the Emancipation Day Holiday. They were on a 22 foot Mako boat powered by a 250 HP Yamaha engine. Two men on board had been in the water diving, they felt a tug on the rope and noticed their boat was circling over them. When the boat finally ran out of gas, the divers were able to reboard it but could not find the boat operator. The body of the male operator was later found with “visible signs of trauma to the victim’s head which police suspect would have come from the propeller of the boat”. He was pronounced dead at at a clinic. His body was later taken to Rand Memorial Hospital.
2010 Summer Accident Date – 6 August 2013 Chattanoogan (Tennessee) “UTC’s Patrick Sutton is Center of Attention” reports Patrick Sutton was severely struck in the leg by a boat propeller in the summer of 2010. Now he is the starting center for the University of Tennessee football team. The article discusses his recovery and efforts to return to football.
July 2010 accident date (exact day unknown) – 31 August 2010 11.com (Atlanta Georgia) “Twin Boys Save Aunt’s Life” reports Candy Palmer-Steele was on Lake Hartwell in July. They were headed back to the dock when a large wave struck the boat and she fell overboard. “Candy’s arm was mangled by the boat’s propeller.” She was in about 40 feet of water, weak, bleeding, and unable to swim. Her twin 13 year old nephews rescued her, she was taken to a hospital, and her arm was saved.
31 July 2010 Houston Chronicle (Texas) “Boy, Dad Injured in Lake Conroe Boating Accident” reports H. Cardenas, 49 year old male, and his 10 year old son were tubing on Lake Conroe on Friday afternoon July 30th. A family member operating the boat accidentally pushed the throttle into reverse, the 18 foot Wellcraft Bowrider lurched backwards and struck them with its propeller. The boy was also entrapped by the propeller. They were both taken to a local urgent care clinic, then both taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital – Texas Medical Center. The boy’s injuries were more critical and he was life flighted to the Texas Medical Center. The Cardenas family lives in Mexico City and owns a vacation home at Lake Conroe.
An earlier 30 July report in The Courier of Montgomery County Texas said the accident happened when the throttle stuck. The boat operator was trying to pull the throttle to neutral and accidentally pulled it all the way into reverse. It says it was a 19 foot 1981 Wellcraft Bowrider boat.
31 July 2010 Accident Date – 28 May 2011 Post and Courier (South Carolina) “Fitness and Friends Bolster Personal Trainer After Boat Propeller Severs Femur, Hamstring” reports Tru Pressly, female and now 35, went out on a 28 foot boat with about 15 people on 31 July 2010. They departed from the Charleston Maritime Center. Coming back, they stopped near Shem Creek and several people got in the water. As she was re-entering the boat, the motor started and was shifted to reverse. With music blaring, the boat operator could not hear her screams. She was struck in her hip and the back of her leg by the propeller. Some nurses on board tended to her injuries as she was taken to the Old Village dock in Mount Pleasant, and then to Medical University of South Carolina. After many surgeries, her fitness level before the accident helped her recover faster than expected, and she continues to try to regain her fitness.
30 July 2010 Accident Date – Canada – “Wakeboard Boat Operator Charged Six Months After Swimmer Hit” reports a 54 year old woman was swimming in West Lake near Wellington Ontario on 30 July 2010 in a busy boating channel when she was struck by the propeller of a boat driven by a wakeboard instructor. She suffered injuries to her back, lower torso, and legs.
D 26 July 2010 Al.com (Alabama) “Louisiana Man Dies Near Ono Island After Boat Backs Up Over Him” reports Brent Poor, age 41 thought to probably be from Baton Rouge, was water skiing in his boat with his wife and two children about noon today (26 July) near Ono Island. A towrope got caught in the propeller, he was leaning over the stern to free it, the boat “slipped into forward gear”, he fell overboard, someone on board pulled the drive to reverse in the panic, he was struck by the propeller and declared dead at the scene.
A 10 July 26 Fox10 report says the boat first went into reverse, ran over him, then a family member mistakenly threw it into forward and ran over him again.
26 July 2010 Castanet.net (British Columbia Canada – Vernon News) “Child Run Over by Boat” reports a six year old girl was swimming of the shore of Kin Beach in Vernon BC on 17 July. She was struck by the propeller of an inflatable boat about 20 feet from shore about 5 pm. The young girl received “cuts on her right leg and right hand, from the propeller.” The lady driving the boat left the scene after learning the child was struck.
D 22 July 2010 Sify News (Russia) “Russian Swimmer Cut in Half by Boat Propeller” reports Olesia Ivanova, female age 25, was part of a group of swimmers in Perogovskoye Reservoir (also spelled Perogovskoya Reservoir) north of Moscow Russia (the exact date is not provided). They asked a yacht to create some waves for them, its captain lost control, ran over Olesia Ivanova “cutting her in half with his propeller.” The yacht did not slow down, the captain said that if he would have stopped, the yacht would have been carried over “and chopped up lots of people.” The lady was taken to a hospital where she died.
Even grimmer headlines and comments are in the 23 July 2010 Pravada, “Pleasure Boat Propellers Hack Inattentive Swimmer to Pieces in Moscow Region” headlines the article containing these comments from an eye witness: I left the beach after 11 pm and her body was still there, the rescue team was still waiting for an ambulance to transport her body, it seemed like they were searching the water for the girl’s legs.
21 July 2010 Bangor Daily News (Maine) “Boat Propeller Accident Sends Boy to Hospital” reports a 13 year old boy was in a boat off Hancock Point about 11:20 am Wednesday 21 July. He was participating in a summer boating program operated by the town. He was wearing a life jacket, fell overboard, was stuck by the propeller, taken to the town landing at Hancock Point, and life flighted to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.
19 July 2010 WKRC (Cincinatti Ohio) “Man’s Foot Caught in Boat Propeller” reports a man was transported to Clinton Memorial Hospital after “his foot was caught in a boat propeller” about 5:30pm on 18 July (Sunday).
19 July Dayton Daily News identified the man as S. Lantz, 38 of Spring Valley, and places the accident on the north end Caesar Creek Lake. Interestingly it points out another man was hit by a prop in the south end of the lake the previous weekend.
17 July 2010 KRISTV (Corpus Christi Texas) “Man’s Arm Amputated in Rockport Boating Accident” reports the operator of a 17 foot boat on Aransas Bay lost control of of the boat about 2pm Saturday 17 July. The boat did a quick 180 and three people were ejected. A 49 year old man’s arm was amputated by the propeller and a woman suffered “deep lacerations on her thigh and arm.” The man was given CPR on site by a passing boater. Both injured parties were life flighted to Cristus Spohn Memorial Hospital in Corpus Christi.
Later reports from the same source identify the man as M. Westernholm. The injured man’s wife (S. Westerholm) was also struck by the prop. The boat operator was able to stay onboard and stop the boat after it ran over two of those ejected.
17 July 2010 KIVITV (Boise Idaho) (AP News) “Sailboarder Hurt in Collision With Cruise Boat” reports D.S. Mayer, 44 year old male from Spokane Washington, was on a sailboard on Lake Coeur D’Alene (Idaho) on Friday 16 July. He passed in front of an Osprey cruise boat carrying almost a hundred passengers, collided with the bow, passed under the boat, and “was severely cut by the propeller..”. He was taken to Kootenai Medical Center.
We think he was hit by a boat like these cruise boats.
D 11 July 2010 Accident Date – 30 July 2010 GenevaLunch.com (Switzerland) reports from Bienne Switzerland that a lady and her fiance were in an inflatable raft on Lake Biel on Sunday 11 July. A speedboat came at them, they dove into the water, the young woman “was fatally hit by the propeller..”. The speed boat did not stop. The lady died in her fiance’s arms shortly later. Police are currently questioning a man whose boat is suspected of possibly being the boat that left the scene of the accident. An October 2013 trial found the elderly speedboat operator had been operating the boat carelessly.
11 July 2010 Grand Junction Sentinel (Colorado) “Police Blotter, July 11, 2010” reports a 25 year old man from Grand Junction was swimming back to a boat about noon Sunday July 11 in Highline State Park. Its motor had been placed in neutral, but the prop was still spinning. The man contacted the propeller and “suffered a gash in his left thigh, in addition to cuts on his knee and shin.”
An 11 July NBC11 report states ‘Rangers say it wasn’t the driver’s fault because the boat was in neutral and appears to have malfunctioned.”
11 July 2010 Ottawa Citizen (Ottawa Ontario Canada) “Man Injured by Propellers After Fall From Boat” reports a man in his early twenties was ona boat near the Constance Bay public boat ramp on Sunday evening 11 July. He fell in, was ran over by the boat, and “had deep cuts on one leg …” He was taken to a hospital.
Other reports indicate the injuries were to his lower left leg.
Approximately 10 July 2010 Accident – 19 July 2010 Dayton Daily News “Man Cuts Leg on Boat Propeller at Caesar Creek” reports on a July 18 propeller accident in Caesar Creek Lake AND points out their was also a propeller accident in the south end of the lake the previous weekend (approx 10 July). The earlier accident involved T. Baird, 24 of Centerville. He received a propeller cut on his right leg and was taken to Southview Hospital in Miami Township (Montgomery County).
8 July 2010 The Gainsville Sun (Gainsville Florida) “Boy Expected to Recover After Being Hit by Boat Propeller” reports G. T. Lyle, an 11 year old boy from Perry, was in a boat with his father just north of Keaton Beach on Wednesday 7 July. His father pulled the boat motor up to clear some weeds from the propeller. While he was pulling the motor up, the motion of the boat changed, the boy fell overboard, and was struck by the propeller and received injuries to his arm and shoulder. He was taken to Shands Hospital at the University of Florida. He and his father had been scalloping.
7 July 2010 WITN (North Carolina) “Boat Operator Charged After Children Fall Overboard” reports two boys were in the front of a boat on Bouge Sound Wednesday 7 July. The boat hit a wake, they were ejected, a ten year old boy “was hit by the motor, cutting his back.” They docked the boat and a passerby drove the boy to Carteret General Hospital.

Monday July 5th – 4th of July Weekend ends

4 July 2010 Accident Date – 6 July 2010 Wicked Local Plymouth (Massachusetts) “Swimmer Hit by Boat” reports a woman was swimming near shore by White Island Pony Pond in South Plymouth on Sunday 4 July a little after 4 pm. She was struck by a pontoon boat propeller “and suffered cuts to her left arm and elbow.” She was taken to Jordan Hospital.
D 5 July 2010 St Louis Post Dispatch “Teen Dies in Boating Accident on Illinois Lake” reports a 15 year old girl from Jerseyville was struck by a boat leaving a cove where several other boats were on Lake Lou Yaeger (about 50 miles northeast of St. Louis). She “was killed by contact with a boat propeller…”
Later reports identify the young girl as Hailey Hazelwonder of Godfrey, the accident happened on Litchfield Lake, and she was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Litchfield where she died about 5:14pm Saturday 3 July.
5 July 2010 Salt Lake Tribune (Utah) “Inner Tuber in Hospital After Leg Caught in Boat Propeller” reports a 30 year old man wearing long pants was being towed on an inner tube behind a boat at Hyrum State Park on Sunday 4 July. About 5 pm, he fell, the boat came back to pick him up, the cuff of his long pants go caught in the prop, and “that sucked his leg into the prop.” He was entrapped under the boat about 45 minutes and “suffered a severe cut to this lower leg”. He is expected to survive.
Other reports indicate he was from Cash County, he was being towed in Big Toe, a southeast part of the lake at Hyrum State Park, and that he was taken to Logan Regional Hospital.
4 July 2010 Accident Date – Australia – 22 July 2010 Gold Coast “Guilty Plea Over Severed Leg Crash” reports a woman was riding behind her husband on a jet ski on the Broadwater on July 4th. She fell from the jet ski, was struck by a boat, and “her right leg was severed below the knee” by the propeller.
D 4 July 2010 Havasu News (California) “Man Dies After Hit by Boat” reports on Saturday 3 July about 5:30 pm, two people riding inflatable chairs were being towed on Lake Havasu near Havasu Landing Casino in San Bernadino County California. One man fell from his towed inflatable chair, the tow boat was going around to pick him back up, and he was struck by another boat. A good description was obtained of the boat as it fled the scene. It was about 25 feet, red with white stripe, V-hull, enclosed bow, bimini top, driven by a heavy set white male that had a moustache and was wearing a hat. A white lady with blond hair was also in the boat. Anyone with info is urged to call their local law enforcement agency. Some people on the tow boat had medical experience, retrieved the person struck, began CPR, took him to Havasu Landing, a Fire Dept boat took him to Windsor Launch Ramps at Lake Havasu State Park, and he was transported to Havasu Regional Medical Center. The man reportedly “suffered multiple and serious lacerations from the propeller” and efforts to revive him were not successful.
The man killed in the accident was later identified as Eric Norris, 30 year old male from Huntington Beach California.
3 July 2010 Accident Date – 16 August 2010 Meadville Tribune (Erie Pennsylvania) “Following Accident, Summit Girl Anxious to Return to Soccer” reports Sarah Bratek, a 15 year old girl from Summit Township, was in the water near a friend’s boat at Kinzua Reservoir on July 3rd. Her friend was sitting on a tube that was being pulled toward the propeller, Sarah pushed her friend to safety, but in doing so, Sarah’s foot “was hit by the propeller” and was “dangling by the skin”. She was life flighted from near Warren to a hospital in Erie. She hopes to be able to rejoin her soccer team in the spring.
D 3 July Accident Date – USCG may consider it a Commercial Accident – 27 July 2010 Fredricksburg.com (Virginia) “Man Struck by Boat in Lake Dies” reports Jason Goodman, age 33, was riding a wave board towed by a PWC on the main lake at LOW on July 3rd during the Orange County subdivision Independence Day activities. He was wearing a life vest, fell, and was near the PWC when he was struck by a pontoon boat propeller. The pontoon boat was carrying 11 paid passengers enjoying a tour of the festivities. A local fire and rescue group sponsored the boat rides. Mr. Goodman was released from the hospital on July 6th, and later developed blood clots in his lungs from the “blunt force trauma to his legs”, and died July 18.
D 2 July 2010 Westport Now (Connecticut) “Man Dies in Boating Accident at Compo Fireworks” reports Charles W. Lucas, 58 year old male from Westport, was on a 40 foot boat with his wife and son (and possibly others) watching the Campo Fireworks the eventing of July 2nd. About 10:22 pm a man overboard call went out. He was the Saugatuck River and was between the Cedar Point Yacht Club and Longshore. He fell from the boat when they were returning from the fireworks. When authorities arrived, two people were holding on to him from a smaller boat, he was loaded on the police boat, taken to Compo Marina, and declared dead. Lucas had “suffered severe trauma”.
Other reports indicate this was a propeller accident. The marina he was taken to is named the Ned Dimes Marina at Compo Beach.
2 July 2010 Euro Weekly (Spain) “Boat Accident Injures Two in Velez Malaga” reports a man and a woman from Madrid were in a boat near El Playazo Beach in Velez Malaga (capital of Axarquia district of Malaga province). The boat is thought to have made a “strange movement” and they were ejected. The gentleman “suffered numerous cuts to one arm and leg” from the propeller. He was treated at a first aid centre then taken to a hospital in Velez-Malaga.
2 July 2010 Accident Date – 10 August 2010 Advocate-Messenger (Danville Kentucky) “Girl Injured in Jet Ski Crash Watches Arraignment in Boyle District Court” reports Alex Otte, a 13 year old girl, was on a PWC on Herrington Lake, near Bryant’s Camp Marina (near her home) on July 2nd. A boat crashed into her, “the propeller severed he left leg at the ankle and she suffered several broken bones and other injuries.” The boat operator is now in court.

Friday 2 July – Fourth of July Weekend starts

June 2010 Accident Date (exact date unknown) – 11 Oct 2010 ABC11News (Raleigh – Durham North Carolina) “Student Defies Odds – Recovers From Severe Injury” reports Wes Haas, a 17 year old high school student, and some friends took a pontoon boat out fishing on Kerr Lake in June to celebrate the first day of summer football practice. The boat jolted suddenly, he went overboard, his shorts became entrapped in the propeller, and the prop sliced his right hamstring. He was life flighted to Duke Hospital. With a good attitude and some very strong determination, he is well on his way to recovery and playing football again.
29 June 2010 Maple Ridge News (British Columbia Canada) “Passenger Injured in Head-On Collision” reports on an auto accident AND a separate boating accident. A 43 year old male fell from a boat on Sunday 27 June at Pitt Meadows Marina about 9:15 pm. He was cut by the spinning propeller and received a laceration to his leg.
D 26 June 2010 WSOCTV9 (Charlotte North Carolina reporting on a South Carolina accident) “9-Year-Old Charlotte Boy Dies in Boating Accident” reports from Tega Cay, South Carolina. Their newspaper partner, The Herald Rock Hill, has reported Tanner Goshen, a 9 year old boy from Charlotte, was in a boat that was towing some kids on Lake Wylie at Windjammer Park in Tega Cay, South Carolina on Saturday 26 June. Somehow he was in the boat, but ended up in the water and was fatally injured by the propeller.
WCNC reported late on the same date, he was 8 years old and went by “Blake”. They were tubing, had a problem with the tow rope, stopped to fix it, somehow the motor engaged, Blake was ejected, and struck by the prop
26 June 2010 Accident Date – 4 September 2010 ForsythNew.com (Georgia) “Three Honored For Valor” reports two Forsyth County Sheriff officers were patrolling Lake Lanier by boat on June 26th near the Highway 369 bridge. A four year old boy, J.D. Sexton, had been injured by the propeller of his father’s boat. Their rapid and effective response helped save the young boy with a severed artery in his leg. He was life flighted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. He has since partially recovered and was able to attend the ceremony honoring his rescuers.
24 June 2010 Accident Date – 30 June 2010 Salt Lake Tribune “Accidents Keep Officials Busy on Lake Powell” reports on several recent accidents including a 24 June prop accident. A 30 year old male from Kane County fell from a boat near Sand King Beach on Lake Powell, was struck by the prop “causing serious injuries to his lower body”, and was life flighted to Flagstaff Medical Center.
NPS.gov reports the accident happened during the afternoon and was across from the Stateline boat ramp (now Wahweap).
16 June 2010 KeysNet.com (Florida) “Guatemalian Tourist Dies While Snorkeling” reports on a non-propeller fatality, then mentions D. Garcia, 32 year old male from Miami Florida, was snorkeling near Bahia Honda Bridge in the Lower Keys on Monday 14 June. He was struck by a boat propeller and “suffered serious lacerations to his legs and feet..”. He was cited for not being near a diver down flag.
13 June 2010 BigBearGrizzley.net (Big Bear Lake California) “Boater Injured on Big Bear Lake” reports B. Halvorson, male of Los Angeles, was operating his boat on Big Bear Lake shortly before 6:30 pm Saturday 12 June. A passenger’s hat fell in the lake, Mr. Halvorson jumped in to retrieve the hat, “his upper thigh and lower leg were severely injured by the propeller”. Per the article he may have failed to make sure the boat was in neutral before he jumped in. The emergency call went out at 6:30 pm and he was life flighted to Arrowhead Regional Trauma Center.
12 June 2010 Accident Date (exact date unknown) – 29 July 2011 Palm Beach Post (Florida) “Sheriff’s Office Won’t Discipline Deputy in Boating Accident”report a deputy, Cheryl Griffin, was involved in a boating accident in June 2010. She signed a boat out from a boat club with another female officer to go boating on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). About 4pm they were going south, just north of Donald Ross Road when their boat hit a wake and the operator (still not determined which woman was operating the boat) lost control, crashed into some pilings tied to a boat lift with a suspended boat overhead. That boat fell on her boat, trapped her underwater, and its propeller slashed her right arm which was later amputated.
D 10 June 2010 Fox23 (Albany New York) “Update: Fatal Kayaking Accident Results in Charge” reports Peter Snyder, 63 of Troy New York, was kayaking on Lake George near Long Island with his wife on Wednesday 9 June. A powerboat ran over his kayak (his wife was in a different one), “he suffered propeller injuries and drowned.” The boat operator said he never saw the kayak several hundred feet from shore in the choppy water.
10 June 2010 WIBC (Indianapolis Indiana) “Boating Accident Leaves Two Injured” reports a group of friends rented a pontoon boat for an afternoon on Allen’s Creek Bay on Wednesday 9 June. An anchor was not holding so the operator was getting ready to move the boat. The operator looked and saw no one in the water. As the boat began to accelerate, he “heard a thump as it struck the two victims.” K. Lauzon, female age 21 of Galien MIchigan, and J. Cork, male age 23 of Speedway Indiana, were struck. Lauzon “receeved significant cuts to her left leg after being struck by the propeller …” Cork had abrasions to his back (his injuries were not identified as prop injuries in the article). Both those injured were pulled onboard, taken to shore, then moved by ambulance to Bloomington Hospital.
10 June 2010 Porterville Recorder (California) “Boat-Accident Injuries Turn Serious” reports a boy. about 12 years old, was tubing on Success Lake on Monday afternoon 7 June. When the boat came around to retrieve him, the initial story was the boat hit a wake, came down on him, and he received a gash on his shin. Now, the boy has been found to have more severe injuries to both legs and other parts of his body and was said to have had no contact with the propeller. The original reports came from the father relaying what a passenger on board had said. That passenger only saw the boy after he had been pulled from the water and his legs covered by a towel. Now, his father says, “If my son had no contact with the (propeller), we would not be sitting here right now at Valley Children’s Hospital. The boy was later transferred to Children”s Hospital Central California in Madera.
10 June 2010 MyFox Tampa Bay (Florida) “Man’s Legs Hurt by Boat Propeller in Homosassa River” reports R. Carroll, a 23 year old male from Homosassa, was in a boat with two other people on the Homosassa River in Citrus County about 8:45 pm Wednesday 9 June. The boat operator left the controls to turn off a radio, Carroll fell out, and “his legs were ran over by the boat’s propeller.” Carroll was life flighted to Tampa General Hospital.
Other reports indicate the boat made a sharp turn to the right when the operator left the controls. That quick turn ejected Carroll.
6 June 2010 Leader Telegram (Eau Clarie Wisconsin) “Man Injured After Boating Accident on Lake Holcombe” reports J. Braaten, 31 of White Bear Lake Minnesota, was on a 17 foot inboard boat on Lake Holcombe Sunday morning 6 June with three young children. One of those children, a one year old, fell overboard about 9:15 am near Isle Bay Resort. While the boat was still underway, Braaten tried to grab the one year old and fell in himself. At that time Braaten was struck by the propeller and received a severe laceration. He was still able to cling to the back of the boat, with a 3 year old and a 5 year old onboard. The 5 year old shut off the boat, a pontoon boat rescued the 1 year old who was wearing a PFD, and brought the boat with the remaining three people back to shore. Braaten was treated on site then taken to a landing zone and life flighted to Luther Hospital.
A 9 June WEAU13.com report indicates that after Braaten was ejected, the five year old girl was trying to stop the boat and mistakenly pulled the boat into reverse when she was trying to pull it into neutral. That started the boat circling in reverse and is when the man’s leg was struck. The young girl was later able to turn the key off and stop the boat.
6 June 2010 LaCrosseTribune.com (La Crosse WI – note accident was in Minnesota) “Mable Man Injured in Boating Accident Near Brownsville” reports M. Bankes, 33 of Mable Minnesota, was in a boat about 5:15 pm Saturday June 5 at Wildcat Landing on the Mississippi River just south of Brownsville. He fell from the boat and was struck by its propeller. Injuries were to “his back and the back of his head.”
Other reports indicate he was taken to Franciscan Skemp Hospital in La Crosse Wisconsin.
5 June 2010 NWFdailynews (North West Florida) “Man Jumps from Sinking Boat, Caught in Propeller” reports a man was in a sinking boat Saturday 5 June. He jumped from the boat, became caught in the propeller, and “sustained severe chest damage and an amputated digit”. His torso injuries were to his chest, left arm and left side. He was picked up by a Coast Guard boat and taken to the Coast Guard Station on Okaloosa Island. From there he was taken to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center by a local fire department that was called about 4:30 pm.
5 June 2010 Accident Date – 25 June 2010 News8 (Arlington VA reporting a Maryland accident) “Hit-and-Run Boater Sought in Chesapeake Incident” reports Mark Gentile was sailing and fishing in Chesapeake Bay on his sailboat with a friend on June 5th. They were about a mile south of Annapolis near the Thomas Point Lighthouse about 2:30pm. His bait bucket was floating away, he dove in for it, less than a boat length from his sailboat he saw a speedboat headed at him, he dove under, and was struck by the propeller. The hit and run boat is thought to be a white and champaign 21 foot Donzi. He is now in a wheelchair at a nursing home with his girlfriend and says, “I have a whole bunch of propeller bits out of the side of my leg.”
3 June 2010 CBS4 (South Florida) “Boat Accident injures Boy Off Black Point Marina” reports a 13 year old teenage boy was on a 18 foot center console boat with 2 other people in the ocean off Southwest Miami-Dade today (3 June). The boat hit a wake, he was ejected, and “cut by the boat’s propeller.” His companions took him to Black Point Marina where he was life flighted to Jackson Memorial Hospital with “extensive injuries to his shoulder and hand”.
A June 3 WSVN report says the other two teenagers onboard did an excellent job is dealing with his injuries. He “suffered partial amputation to the right arm and a laceration down to the bone to his left shoulder.” The boat was powered by a Johnson outboard per their video. The boat struck something, the boy went off the boy, the boat ran over him and he was struck by the prop.
4 June CBS4 identifies the boy as P. Brannon, age 12.

Current Memorial Weekend Propeller Accident Count from the Media Below:

2 June 2010 KeysNet.com (Florida) “Fisherman Dies While Seeking Grouper” reports on a spearfishing accident AND that a family including an 8 and 4 year old boy were on a 18 foot Hewes fishing boat near John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and land base. The boat struck a channel marker and threw all four occupants overboard as it was heading south toward the Atlantic through South Sound Creek. The boat began to circle and both boys “suffered serious propeller wounds”. They were both life flighted to Miami Childrens Hospital. The Koehler family was from Dunwoody Georgia. The parents were both treated at Mariners Hospital with less serious wounds.
DDD 2 June 2010 Volusia County Headlines Examiner (Florida) “Boating Accident Kills Local Father, Pregnant Daughter” reports Cyril J. Holley, Jr., his 19 year old nine months pregnant daughter (Madison Holley), his wife, Madison’s husband, and two others (total of 6 people) were in a boat on the Intercoastal Waterway just south of Ponce de Leon Inlet on Memorial Day (31 May). Just before 4pm in a Smyrna Dunes Park area known as “dog beach” that is close to the Coast Guard Station Ponce de Leon Inlet, their boat was ran over by a larger runabout boat with 7 people onboard. Those on both boats were friends or related and knew each other. The larger boat was jumping waves and came into an area the smaller boat was parked. Witnesses said a wave may have jumped the larger boat onto the smaller one. When the larger boat passed over the smaller boat, Cyril J. Holley Jr., and his daughter Madison Holley were struck by its propeller and thrown into the water. They both died, along with Madison’s unborn child. The local wildlife commission is recording it as 3 fatalities due to her being 9 months pregnant. Three other boaters suffered injuries and were taken to Bert Fish Medical Center in New Smyrna Beach.
Later reports indicate the unborn child was a boy they planned to name Carter and the boat that ran over them was a 25 foot 1989 Chaparral.
It is our understanding these may be deemed as collision fatalities and not propeller fatalities because the deceased may not have been in the water when they were struck.
1 June 2010 ABC4 (Salt Lake City Utah) “No Sign of Missing Boater on Strawberry Reservoir” reports Christopher Tyler Barton, 26, fell in or jumped from the front of an underway pontoon boat on Strawberry Reservoir a little before 8 pm Monday night 31 May. Passing boaters picked up two other men needing assistance from the same boat. Barton’s fellow boaters threw in life jackets to him, but he went between the pontoons and disappeared. They did not know if he was struck by the propeller or not. He was still missing midday Tuesday 1 June.
Fox 13 indicates he was yelling for help after the boat ran over him, that is when those onboard threw him a life jacket and jumped in to assist. Strawberry Reservoir is well known for being very cold.
Historically the cold, deep lake has made it difficult to recover bodies in the past (they dont float). A high tech sonar search for some missing boaters in 2006 turned up three bodies from 1995 and 2001 accidents.
Note – not yet positively a prop strike. A couple quick glances in a KSL video look like it is a Mercury outboard on the pontoon boat.
1 June 2010 KMOX (Missouri) “Memorial Day Incidents on Missouri Waterways Leave One Dead, One Seriously Hurt” reports E. Haller, 38 year old male from Arkansas, was on the bow of an underway pontoon boat on Lake Wappapello in Wayne County in southeast Missouri on Memorial day. He fell overboard and was critically injured when he was struck by the propeller.
Other reports indicate the accident happened just before 1 pm Memorial Day when he was trying to stand up from his position on the bow, he fell overboard.

D 31 May 2010 KMEG14 (Iowa accident) “South Sioux City Boy Killed in Storm Lake Boating Accident” reports ten year old David McFarlin was among 5 people crossing Storm Lake in a boat Monday morning 31 May. The boat hit a dredge pipe, the outboard motor flipped up into the boat, he died from severe cuts to his chest and arms. An 11 year old boy onboard was also struck by the propeller. This accident resulted in a legal case we covered at Estate of David Paul McFarlin and Jamie Laass vs. Brunswick Corporation (Mercury Marine and Lund Company) and Others.

30 May 2010 Havasu News-Herald (Lake Havasu Arizona) “Police Say Boaters Behaving” reports on a local nonpropeller accident, then mentions, that up the Colorado River near Needles California about the same time as the local nonprop injury, “a man suffered a significant propeller-cut”.
30 May 2010 WTAP (Parkersburg West Virginia) “One Woman Taken to Hospital After Boating Accident” reports A woman was in her boat on Mill Creek several miles south of Ravenswood where it (Mills Creek) meets the Ohio River about 7 pm Sunday 30 May. She fell from the bow and went under her boat. She was taken to Jackson General Hospital, then life flighted to Charleston Area Medical Center.
2 June 2010 News&Sentinel.com reports it was pontoon boat with 6 adults on board. She was on the bow outside the rails when the boat was underway, and was struck by the prop. She was identified as Carolyn Brown, age 48.
D 30 May 2010 Savannah Morning News (Georgia) “Update: Woman Killed in Boating Accident” reports a woman fell from a boat into the Back River near Tybee Island on Sunday evening 30 May. “She was apparently struck by the propeller, suffering fatal injuries.” The boat involved in the accident was docked at an area restaurant about 6pm.
Other early reports indicate she fell off the rear of the boat and hit the prop. She was life flighted to an area hospital but died in route.
She was later identified at Dawn Piper, age 38.
1 June 2010 Savannah Morning News reported her husband, Alan Piper, was a member of the local Marine Rescue Squadron and she, Dawn Piper, had been an active supporter of the group. She leaves behind a 9 year old son and a 13 year old daughter.

Memorial Day Weekend Starts

29 May 2010 Triple Fatality in Louisiana

Multiple D? 30 May 2010 2theAdvocate (Baton Rouge Louisiana) Five people on Lake Maurepas were in a boat headed to eat at a restaurant at Blind River on Saturday May 29. Enroute, about 2:20pm, they stopped for a swim. The boat operator left the engine idling while the four passengers jumped in. Then as the operator jumped in, something caught on the throttle and the boat accelerated. It circled for about forty minutes before running out of gas. During that time, it struck four of the five people. Another boater pulled two survivors (Trey White, 24, and Blake Caronna, 26) from the water about 3pm and called 911. Two females and one male are currently listed as missing, all thought to be in their teens or early twenties. One of those missing is a 15 year old girl wearing a life jacket at the time of the accident. Search and rescue efforts were suspended about 9 pm due to darkness. One survivor, Trey White, “was struck by the boat’s propeller on the arm and taken to the hospital.”
Other reports indicate the accident happened on Lake Maurepas about 2 miles from shore, all onboard were from Ascension Parish, search efforts Saturday night included the use of a helicopter, White had a pelvic injury in addition to his arm and was taken to Elizabeth Hospital.

29 May WGNO reported they were missing about 5 miles northwest of Pass Manchac LA. and USCG is aiding the search with a MH-65 helicopter from Airstation New Orleans and a 25 foot response boat from Station New Orleans.
30 May 2010 WBRXZ “Update: Body of One Missing Boater Found” reports the identity of the three missing people as Ryan Ducote (24), Anna Hite (20), Mikayla Thibodeaux (14) all of Gonzalez. As of 7am the Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries switched from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. One body has been found today. The name of the victim will be released after family members are notified. This article also says the boat hit four of the five people in the water while it was circling. At least 13 boats and 2 helicopters from several agencies have been involved in the search.

30 May 2010 WWLTV reports two bodies have been found, Ann Hite (20) and Mikayla Thibodeaus (14). Ryan Ducote is still listed as missing. No mention of propeller strikes were made in their report.

31 May AP reported the third body, Ryan Ducote, was found about 8am Monday 31 May about 2 miles from the mouth of the Blind River.

A 30 May WFAB video seems to indicate the drive involved was an Evinrude, but it was not conclusive.
1 June 2010 Baton Rouge Advocate reports indicate it had an 85 HP drive, steered via a steering wheel, the boat was over 20 years old, and did not have an engine emergency kill switch (not equipped for lanyard kill switch use).
We (PGIC) anticipate one or more of three fatalities may have been struck by the propeller.

28 May 2010 (Friday) Memorial Day Weekend Begins

Commercial Vessel – 13 May 2010 The West Australian (Australia) “Man Injured by Propeller After Losing Hat” reports A 36 year old male employee of Coral Princes Cruises was operating a zodiac rescue tender as a support vessel to a cruise ship on Prince Regent River on Tuesday 11 May. About 12:30pm his hat blew off, he leaned over to retrieve it, and fell into the propeller. He was life flighted to Perth with deep thigh lacerations and a severely fractured arm.
1 May 2010 10TVNews (Central Ohio) “Boats Collide On Buckeye Lake Injuring 2” reports two boats collided on Buckeye Lake Friday afternoon April 30th about 5:30pm. A Donzi pleasure boat and a bass boat crashed near the no wake zone by Cranberry Bog. An eyewitness reported what looked like one man jumped from one boat moments before the crash, and after the crash, that boat began to circle. Two people were ejected from the second boat when it capsized. Two victims (a man and a woman) “were ran over by a propeller and suffered lower body injuries.” They were life flighted to Grant Medical Center in Columbus.
A NBC4i report identified the injured parties as both coming from the fishing boat, B. Trudeau (47 year old male) and C. Trudeau (41 year old female) both of Columbus Ohio.
A 2 May Lancaster Eagle Gazette report and video interview with the gentleman struck, B. Trudeau, indicate that both he and his wife were struck by the propeller of a boat that came to rescue them.
23 April 2010 WSVN (Miami / Ft. Lauderdale Florida) “Man Injured After Falling Overboard” reports a man was fishing or casting a net from his boat near Haulover Park Marina this morning (23 April). He fell overboard. Investigators believe his legs were cut by the propeller. The emergency call was received about 7:02 am and he was take to Jackson Memorial Hospital. They include a great video identifying the injured man as S. Gillespie from Waxahatchie.
D 19 April 2010 Citrus Daily (Citrus County Florida) “FWC Investigating Crystal River Woman’s Death” reports Carla Faul (note this article says Carla Paul, but other reports seem to indicate her name is actually Carla Faul), age 25, was on a pontoon boat on the Withlacoochee River on Saturday afternoon April 17th near the border between Citrus and Sumter counties. Early reports indicate she fell overboard just before 4:30 pm, was struck by the propeller, and died of her injuries. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating.
Citrus County Chronicle Online 18 April reports her name as Carla D. Faul (not Paul). The accident happened between the bridge at State Road 44 East near the Citrus and Sumpter County border and the boat ramp at the end of Turner Camp Road.
Online social networks sites seem to indicate she is a single mom with a young child.
A Citrus Times Online 19 April report indicates Carla Faul fell from the bow of a 20 foot 2005 Sweetwater pontoon boat while it was going about 5 to 10 mph and was struck by the propeller. She was transported by a nearby airboat to the Rutland Park Boat Ramp at the State Road 44 bridge where she was met by medical authorities and declared dead at the scene.
14 April 2010 Cairns (Australia) “Fisherman Injured by Boat Propeller” reports a 32 year old male was fishing near Musgrave Station, about 100 kilometers from Coen this morning (14 April). He slipped, fell overboard, and “sustained deep cuts to his buttocks after he came into contact with the boat’s propeller.” He was treated by paramedics at Musgrave Station for lacerations to his buttocks and upper thigh.
4 April 2010 News Herald – HavasuNews (Arizona) “Boating Accident Injures California Man” reports A. Karabay, male, was on a pontoon boat on Lake Havasu near Copper Canyon on Thursday 1 April. He was sitting on the bow, the pontoon boat hit some waves, he fell overboard, and was struck by the propeller. Karabay’s leg received several lacerations from the propeller and it also dislocated a finger. He was taken to Havasu Regional Medical Center.
4 April 2010 Accident Date (Australia) – “Investigation into Scotch Oakburn College Rowing Incident North River 4 April 2010” Incident Investigations. Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST) reports a 16 year old student/rower used a coach’s outboard powered RIB to investigate what they thought was some clothing near some reeds in the North Esk River, Launceston. The student reported the RIB struck a submerged object, he was ejected, the RIB began to circle, he tried to reboard it while it was circling, and he was struck by the propeller. The student was taken by ambulance to an area hospital with “lacerations to face and chest.” The report includes some nice photos of the scene. It briefly discusses some safety devices, including the Australian Environmental Safety Propeller.
25 March 2010 “LWF Responds to Boating Accident” The News Star (Louisiana) reports Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries worked an accident at Black Bayou Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday 24 March. Initial reports were a boater was bitten by a gator, but they later learned he had been hit by a propeller. D. Soles was fishing in Black Bayou Lake, his motor got caught on something, while investigating he fell overboard. The boat started circling, and “the propeller hit Soles arm.”
16 March 2010 “Fishos Fall in Among Big Crocs” Northern Territory News (Australia) reports two men were fishing from a boat near Pelican Point on the Victoria River about 9:20 pm Saturday March 13. Their boat hit a submerged object and they were both ejected. Both men managed to get back onboard quickly from the croc infested waters, but their boat broke down. One man had deep cuts to his back and hip. A police boat picked them up and took them to Big Horse boat ramp, then they were taken to Timber Creek Health Clinic.
A report in the Australia.to.News dated March 15 says the man received the injuries “after coming in contact with the propeller while in the water.”
DEAD BODY STRUCK 17 February 2010 Statesman (Austin Texas) “Police: Body Found in Lady Bird Lake” reports a rowing team coach was working out a rowing team from Maine on Lady Bird Lake today (17 February) when the propeller of his boat caught on the shirt of an unidenfied body that was a male. He appeared to have been dead for a long time.
PGIC Comment – sometimes deceased floating bodies are struck by propellers.
15 February 2010 Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) “Army Cadet Slashed by Boat Propeller” reports a 19 year old army cadet was on a training exercise on a dam northwest of Canberra yesterday, February 14th. He and another cadet fell overboard. The cadet was struck by the propeller “which cut up his left buttock, thigh, and lower back.” He was treated onsite, then life flighted to Canberra Hospital.
Another report indicates the accident happened at Burrinjuck Dam in Southwest NSW (New South Wales).
Later news reports and several of our contacts in Australia confirm the injured cadet, Oliver Minchin, is the son of a well known senator, Liberal Senate Leader Nick Minchin.
28 Jan 2010 TVNZ (New Zealand) “Man Gets Leg Stuck in Propeller” reports a male diver, age 58 from Palmerston North, surfaced from a dive in the Marlborough Sounds Thursday afternoon 28 January. His catch bag became caught in a moving propeller, the boat operator quickly put the boat in neutral, but the divers leg became caught in the propeller. A lifeflight crew was called a little after 3pm and flew him to Wellington Hospital with a serious leg injury.
Other reports indicate the boat was taken to Ships Cove to meet the helicopter.
PGIC comment – the industry talks about the risk of entrapment in propeller guards, but the only entrapment cases we see are in open propellers like this one.
23 January 2010 Accident Date (Australia) – 19 November 2010 ABC Central Victoria (Australia) “Boatie Fined For Running Over Wakeboarder” reports a waterski boat piloted by a 21 year old male ran over a wakeboarder on the Murray River at Monoma back on January 23rd. The male wakeboarder was struck by the keel and propeller of the boat, receiving “serious leg and foot injuries, including the loss of half his calf muscle and a dislocated shoulder.”
18 January 2010 Marlborough Express (New Zealand) “Man Tears Leg on Propeller” reports A 50 year old man from Christchurch was on a boat in Marlborough Sounds on Saturday January 16th. He fell overboard while he was checking the boat’s bungs and cut his leg on the propeller. He was taken to Havelock
Marina by boat, then by ambulance to Wairau Hospital.
D 11 January 2011 MCOT.net (Thailand) “Russian Tourist Killed by Speedboat in Pattaya” reports Poliakov Oleg, 40 year old male tourist from Russia, was diving the coral reef at Pattaya, in Thailand’s Chonburi province, on January 11th. He was about 200 or 300 meters (article lists both distances) off the Pattaya coast in Bang Lamung district (which is outside the diving zone). A private, unregistered speedboat came by and he was struck in the back by its propellers and killed. His body was taken to Bang Lamung Hospital for an autopsy.
Other reports indicate he and another diver may have just surfaced before they were struck, and that his body may have been cut in half.
6 Jan 2010 Nelson Mail (New Zealand) “Helicopter Rescues Far More Common” reports a 53 year old farmer from North Canterbury was on a moored boat in Torrent Bay in Abel Tasman National Park about 6 am this morning (6 January). He slipped from his boat “suffering deep cuts to his leg from
the boat’s propeller.”
3 Jan 2010 COMMERCIAL ACCIDENT Philstar.com (Philippines) “Sea Mishap off North Cagayan: 22 North Korean Survivors Are Legal Aliens” reports 22 North Koreans were on a cargo ship (M/V Nam Yang 8) carrying magnetite that ran aground before dawn January 1st off Cagayan on the South China Sea Coast. “One of the passengers was injured by the propeller of the ship.” Their vessel washed ashore off Barangay Pasaleng in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.
2 Jan 2010 News24 (South Africa) “Man Struck by Propeller” reports from Durban that a boat carring several people was off the Umkomaas coast (Umkomaas is a town on south coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) on Saturday 2 January.
The boat was struck by a rouge wave, one man was ejected and stuck by the boat’s propeller. “He sustained a massive head injury”, was taken to Netcare Kingsway Hospital, then to St. Augustine’s Hospital in Durban.
D Unknown January 2010 Accident Date – ABC News Australia. 6 June 2011. “Both Drivers at Fault in Jet Ski Crash, Inquest Told” reports James Horton, age 39, was riding a jet ski on Mongonglo River near Pialligo back in January 2010. He and a boat crashed head on at a double bend in the River. Mr. Horton suffered “deep cuts to his torso from a propeller” and later died at Canberra Hospital. A recent inquest found both men were traveling too close to the middle of the river as they went through the double bend.
Unknown 2010 Accident Date – 19 February 2011 Inquirer Global Nation (Philippines) “2 Dead in Shootout at Sea” reports on a recent marine patrol shootout and ends describing how a Bantay Dagat patrolman in Cordova town was killed last year (2010) when catching two people suspected of fishing illegally.The fishermen claimed the patrolman (Rudy Sultan) pulled his gun, they tried to grab it in self defense, and Sultan fell overboard. His body was found three days later with “hack wounds” that “could be caused by the boat’s propeller.”

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