A horrible accident occurred involving a young child out in Atlantic Beach Friday afternoon at 2:20 p.m. The 10-year-old Long Island boy had to be rushed to the hospital after getting his leg caught in a boat’s propeller.
Witnesses are saying the 10-year-old was swimming in the waters of Reynolds Channel near the Cedarhurst Yacht Club when he came in contact with a speed boat's propellor.The child suffered terrible injuries to his thigh and was unconscious when pulled out of the water. The boy was airlifted to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway and was then transferred to Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park. He’s currently in serious condition but luckily he’s expected to recover from those injuries he suffered Friday afternoon.
Nassau County police quickly cordoned off the scene to investigate the accident area. The investigation is ongoing and officers are interviewing the group of children who were there in order to figure out how this near tragic accident occurred.
Propellor Safety is a website dedicated to propellor related injuries and how to avoid them. One of the safety tips they give is to never run your engine while passengers are parting or boarding. This is a precaution in case one of them slips. Another important tip is for passengers to be seated properly. Sitting on the side of the boat could lead to tragic results if the passenger falls off a boat bumping up and down through waves.
If children are on board a responsible adult should never keep their eyes off them. One of the most important safety tips is to make sure the engine is off if passengers decide to jump off and go for a swim. Once everybody is safely back aboard the boat then it’s okay to turn it back on.
[Source: News 12, Propeller Safety]