Incidents of scuba divers being struck by boats are not as rare as they should be, but what’s more unusual is an apparent hit-and-run incident.
That appeared to be what happened about a mile off Hollywood Beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on 8 August, when a 23-year-old male diver sustained lacerations to his shoulders and back following a boat strike.
The diver had surfaced after ascending from around 20m and his badly damaged tank, said to bear the marks of a propeller strike, appeared to have taken much of the impact.
It was not clear whether he or his buddy had raised a surface marker buoy before ascending.
The man was recovered onto his dive-boat and was said to be conscious when he arrived on shore, where emergency services personnel conveyed him to hospital. His injuries were said not to be life-threatening.
A white 18m sports-fishing yacht was said to have left the scene of the incident.
Coast Guard officials and Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission were investigating and were reported to have questioned two men.
