A 9-year-old boy in Iowa died when a boat’s propeller hit him last week. The young victim was a member of a local water ski team and decided to ski one last time before school began the next day, according to thegazette.com. While skiing, he fell in the water with two other people. The driver of the boat said he thought three swam ashore.
However, the boat driver did not see the three in the water because the boat’s nose blocked his view. He ran over the boy and police arrived on the scene around 12:30 p.m. A police spokesperson said the boy had injuries to his back and shoulders. Emergency responders took him to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
While this accident occurred in Iowa, boat accidents are far more common in Florida, where people can enjoy boating year around. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, there were 426 boating injuries in Florida in 2009. Broken bones are the most common boating injury, with lacerations and head injury a close second and third, respectively.
Other injuries common to boating accidents include neck injuries, burns, amputations, spinal injuries, shock, contusions and internal injuries.
Colson Hicks Eidson – Florida injury attorneys