National flags of the United States., Singapore, and Maldives.

Both girls attended well known private schools and had promising futures ahead of them.

11-year-old Brooke Mejeur was on a 20-foot pontoon boat on Lake Osborne in Palm Beach County Florida Saturday November 2, 2024. Two adults and three minors were on the pontoon boat when the bow suddenly dropped. Brooke Mejeur was thrown from the pontoon boat into the water. She was struck by the propeller. Brooke was recovered from the water, rushed to shore, and died from her injuries.

15-year-old Jenna Chan, a 9th Grade student at St. Joseph’s Institution International (SJI International) in Singapore was on a school research trip in the Maldives. She was snorkeling Friday November 8, 2024 when she was struck and killed by a boat propeller.

Brooke Mejeur

Brooke attended Lake Worth Christian School.

Go Fund Me Page for Brooke Mejeur, age 11, killed by boat propeller

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) reports their preliminary investigation found the sudden drop of the pontoon boat bow caused her to be thrown overboard where she was struck by the pontoon boat’s propeller.

The pontoon boat was said to have been traveling smoothly when the unexpected event occurred per FOX 29.

Luke Price, a local that saw the search crews on Saturday, said they’ve witnessed a handful of boating accidents on the lake over the years, but none as tragic as this.

FFWCC is investigating the cause of the incident and potential safety measures for boating on Lake Osborne.

While news reports indicate Brooke went over the bow, none mention bow riding. Some suggest the pontoon boat may have struck something in the water.

Jenna Chan

Jenna was in the Maldives on a whale shark research project, part of the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme based on Dhigurah Island (Dhigu means Long and rah means Island). The island is about 100 kilometers southwest of Male, the capital of the Maldives. She traveled from Singapore to the Maldives as part of a National Youth Achievement Award.

Dhigurah Island in The Maldives

Jenna was snorkeling when she was struck by a boat propeller. She was dead on arrival at Dhigurah Health Center.

Jenna’s family and a team of supporters have traveled to Male. The family is accompanied by her high school principal. In their absence, her school is providing grief support and counseling services for students.

Singapore’s Foreign Affairs Ministry reports they are providing assistance and support to Jenna’s family.

Jenna Chan’s school in Singapore

SJI International’s website reports their students take part in expeditions to locations including Nintan, Krabi, and Tioman as part of their outdoor education program.

Deja Vu

This pair of propeller fatalities great distances from one another claimed the lives of two promising young girls.

It is very reminiscent of the death of Charlie Hutton,14, in the U.K. and Kali Gorzell, 16, in Texas back on July 20, 2012. Their deaths occurred at almost the exact same time thousands of miles apart. Both had promising futures and left their families with tremendous grief.

Both sets of parents went on to champion boating safety as best as they were able in their grief. Texas adopted a kill-switch law and the Coast Guard studied the end swapping of flat bottom boats with the death of Kali who is still remembered in the slogan developed at her school, Live Like Kali.

Hopefully we will see some movement on boating safety with the death of these two young girls. All we see so far is an investigation by FFWCC and some news coverage of the U.S. accident by Marine Industry News in the UK.

Geography of the November 2024 Propeller Accidents

World Map