A 22-year-old summa cum laude graduate, Hannah Smith, was sucked into a ferry’s propellers during a cruise in the Bahamas. While other passengers managed to save her from drowning, the blades severed her legs.
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According to the Daily Mail, the incident occurred in Nassau on Monday, May 12. The recently graduated Smith and her best friend were on a tropical cruise excursion in the Bahamas. After a trip to Pearl Island, both women were returning to the capital. When the pontoon boat docked in Nassau, Smith fell off the side of the ship at around 3:55 p.m.
As a result, Smith was dragged underwater due to the suction caused by the ferry’s propellers. At that moment, the ferry’s captain, who spoke with law enforcement, said that he heard “she jumped off” cries and a banging noise sounds coming from the boat’s side. After taking a look, he saw that Smith had fallen in the water, and she was surrounded by a pool of blood.. He immediately put the ferry’s engine in neutral.
Two female passengers managed to save her from drowning by grabbing her arm. They were able to haul her back on board, but Smith’s injuries were quite noticeable. The propeller’s blades had slashed and severed her legs.
Hannah Smith was rushed to a local hospital. She was then airlifted back to the United States to undergo emergency surgery. As per the Daily Mail, she remained in critical condition as of May 19.
Hannah’s Parents React
Law enforcement sources, while talking with the Daily Mail, suggested that alcohol was likely a contributing factor in what happened to Hannah Smith. However, both her parents, Tracy and Marvin Smith, contest that claim.
“Hannah was not intoxicated,” Tracy told the outlet. “She fell from the boat. It’s hurtful to say she jumped because she did not.”
Tracy believes that factors such as a faulty safety mechanism or the boat’s rocking might have caused her daughter to fall off the boat.
“There are so many things that could have been happening,” Tracy added. “I want to know the truth. This was a young woman, happy, celebrating her life, and now she’s fighting for it.”
Marvin even revealed that he spoke with the doctor who treated Hannah, saying that she was coherent when she arrived at the Nassau hospital.
“Everything he said suggested she was not inebriated,” Marvin said.
Hannah Smith graduated summa cum laude from Miles College on May 3. She obtained a communications and graphic design degree. Miles College, located in Birmingham, Alabama, addressed her accident in a statement.
“Sending our deepest prayers and support to recent graduate Hannah Smith, Summa Cum Laude Class of 2025, who is currently in critical condition,” the college said. “Hannah exemplifies the Golden Standard, and we are believing in her full recovery.”
A GoFundMe was set up to raise funds for her medical and recovery expenses.