Police in the Bahamas have arrested two local men aged 55 and 21 in connection with a hit-and-run boating incident that left snorkeller Brent Slough seriously injured on 30 June. The men were being questioned and face charges of causing grievous harm by negligence.
The 42-year-old former US Army Ranger, on holiday with his family, had been snorkelling in shallow water only 6m from shore at Tar Bay beach on the largest of the Exuma islands chain, Great Exuma.
Also read: Dive-guide critical after boat-prop incident
The propeller of the vessel, described by witnesses as a 6m white Boston Whaler-type speedboat, struck him at the top of the back of his legs, inflicting severe injuries. Despite his screams for help, at least one of the boat’s occupants was reported to have looked back before it sped away.
Slough was brought out of the water and the profuse bleeding was staunched by beachgoers using towels, but when no emergency responders arrived he had to be taken to a local clinic in the back of a pick-up.
He was later airlifted to Miami, Florida, where he underwent a four-hour operation and remained in intensive care.
Slough’s wife Whitney described him as “lucky to be alive”. A GoFundMe appeal for US $90,000 was launched to cover the immediate medical expenses, a sum that has now almost been covered.
’Insufficient care’
The appeal refers to the Slough family as having experienced “a day of insufficient care in Exuma and Nassau” while awaiting the airlift, as well as to the challenge of meeting Slough’s upcoming medical needs and getting him back to Texas.
One eyewitness told Bahamas newspaper the Tribune that when he had called the police from the beach he had been asked instead to contact the local healthcare facility direct.
It was only after 45-60 minutes, when the expected ambulance or paramedics had failed to arrive, that the group at the beach instead borrowed the pick-up from the caretaker of the property where the family were staying to drive him to hospital.
The incident has ignited social-media criticism among Exuma residents about lack of emergency medical provision and the question of protection for swimmers from boats. Bahamian maritime law generally prohibits boats from operating at high speed within 60m of shore in populated or swimming areas.
Also on Divernet: FISHING-BOAT PROP INJURES DIVERS IN TAIWAN, HIT-AND-RUN LEAVES DIVER WITH LEG INJURY, GIRL’S FAMILY WANT ANSWERS ON MALDIVES SNORKELLING DEATH, PROP KILLS SCHOOLGIRL ON WHALE SHARK TRIP
