A young tourist who recently graduated has had her world turned upside down in a horrific incident while on holiday in the Bahamas. Hannah Smith, 22, was sucked into a boat propeller and left with both legs partially severed.
Hannah had recently graduated with top honours for her arts degree at Miles College, Alabama, and was celebrating on a dream cruise holiday when the incident occurred. According to her family, Hannah fell from the side of the boat as it was docking and was dragged beneath the water by its propeller, leaving her with major injuries. Her life was saved by two female passengers who managed to grab hold of her and pull her back on board. She was then rushed to a local hospital before being airlifted to the US for urgent surgery.
She remains in a critical condition, according to MailOnline.
Tracy Smith, Hannah’s mother, has hit back at sources claiming alcohol may have played a role in the incident and that the young woman had jumped into the water. She said: “Hannah was not intoxicated. She fell from the boat. It’s hurtful to say she jumped because she did not.”
“These kids work their a***s off to graduate. It was a celebratory trip,” she said. “Do they have fun? Yes. Were they drunk? No. Did she jump? No. Are we completely aware of what happened? No.”
She also said: “This was a young woman, happy, celebrating her life and now she’s fighting for it.”
The mother also questioned why Hannah’s best friend, Brooklyn Pitre, who witnessed the incident, was not interviewed by police.
Hannah had booked the luxury Caribbean cruise to celebrate her graduation on May 3. The pair were on their way back from an excursion to Pearl Island, three miles from Nassau, when she reportedly fell into the water after the pontoon ferry arrived at the Nassau Cruise Port just before 4pm.
The captain of the ferry reportedly turned off the engine immediately when he heard cries of “she jumped off” and a loud noise coming from the boat’s starboard side. He then saw Hannah in the water in a pool of blood.
Hannah’s father, Marvin, had set up a GoFundMe page to help the family cover the ever-increasing medical bills. “Known for her dedication to service, academic excellence and uplifting others, Hannah now finds herself in need of the community’s support,” he wrote.
An investigation into the horrific incident is ongoing, according to the Royal Bahamas Police. In a statement, they said: “The victim is alleged to have entered the water from a vessel she was a passenger on while it was attempting to dock. She sustained serious injuries to her lower body, caused by the vessel’s propeller.”
