Woman, 22, fights for life as legs torn off in freak accident on dream holiday

Irish Daily Mirror

20-05-2025

A gifted university graduate is fighting for her life in hospital after she was sucked into a boat's propeller which tore both her legs off.
Hannah Smith, 22, had recently graduated with top honours for her arts degree at Miles College, Alabama, and was celebrating on a dream holiday to the Bahamas when tragedy struck.
According to her family, Hannah fell from the side of a pontoon boat as it was docking and was suddenly dragged beneath the water by its propeller, leaving her with catastrophic injuries and partially severed legs, reports The Mirror.
Her life was only saved thanks to the swift action of two female passengers, who managed to grab her arm and pull her back on board. Hannah was then rushed to a local hospital before being airlifted to the US for surgery.
She remains in a critical condition, MailOnline reports. Sources told how alcohol may have played a role in the accident, with some claiming Hannah had jumped into the water.
Her mum Tracy Smith has furiously hit back at the claims, saying: "Hannah was not intoxicated. She fell from the boat. It's hurtful to say she jumped because she did not."
Tracy also questioned why police didn't interview Hannah's best friend Brooklyn Pitre - who had witnessed the accident. "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.
"But could there have been a safety mechanism that was off, was the boat rocking, we are not 100 per cent sure of that. There are so many things that could have been happening. I want to know the truth. This was a young woman, happy, celebrating her life and now she's fighting for it."
Hannah's dad Marvin said he had spoken to the doctor treating Hannah at Doctors Hospital in Nassau, and everything he told him "suggested she was coherent" and "not inebriated" when she arrived.
To celebrate her graduation on May 3, Hannah booked the luxury Caribbean cruise via the Carnival Sunrise ship. She and pal Brooklyn were on their way back from an excursion to Pearl Island - a tropical getaway known for its swimming pigs and dolphins - when she reportedly fell into the water moments after the pontoon ferry arrived on the Nassau Cruise Port at 3.55pm.
The ferry's captain immediately turned off the engine when he heard panicked cries of "she jumped off" and a loud noise coming from the boat's starboard. He then saw Hannah in the water surrounded by a pool of blood.
A witness told police that two female passengers grabbed Hannah's arm and dragged her back onto the boat before she was rushed to hospital with "serious" injuries to her legs and lower body. The 22-year-old was then flown to the US last Wednesday, where she has undergone further surgeries.
Marvin described his daughter as a "scholar, leader and community advocate" in a GoFundMe appeal set up to help the family cover the mounting medical bills.
He said: "Hannah graduated at the top of her class with Summa Cum Laude, from Miles College, earning respect and admiration from her peers, professors and sorority sisters. Known for her dedication to service, academic excellence and uplifting others, Hannah now finds herself in need of the community's support. Hannah was tragically injured in an accident that has left her facing multiple surgeries, long term rehabilitation and mounting medical bills."
Hannah's older sister Rachel added: "Hannah is light. Hannah is love. Hannah is absolutely HER. Our little sister is nothing short of a headache but we wouldn't want her any other way. She is literally the strongest of us all (She's a gym rat). We're praying you continue to be the strongest and fight for your life, your dreams and aspirations. This boating accident will not define your life. We need you to have many more birthdays, more holidays, more life experiences."
Hannah - a former member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority - graduated from university with a degree in communications and graphic design. Miles College said of her on Facebook: "Sending our deepest prayers and support to recent graduate Hannah Smith, Summa Cum Laude Class of 2025, who is currently in critical condition. Hannah exemplifies the Golden Standard, and we are believing in her full recovery. We ask our Miles family and extended community to keep her lifted in prayer and to support however you can."
The Royal Bahamas Police said an investigation into the freak accident was ongoing, adding in a statement: "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."
The Mirror has contacted Carnival for comment.