Media coverage of 2012 recreational boat propeller accidents.
If you are aware of coverage of a 2012 propeller accident that is not reported here, please contact us.
Fatal accidents are coded immediately in front of the reporting data as:
D indicates the first coverage on this page of a U.S. fatality occurring this year
D indicates a fatality outside the U.S.
- 14 May 2012 Lake News Online (Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri)”Man Seriously Injured by Boat Propeller” reports Brandon S. Treece, 24 of Independence Missouri, was on a 2003 Crownline boat near the 62 mile marker on Sunday night May 13th about 6:30pm. He fell from the bow, was struck by the propeller receiving serious injuries to his arm, and was life flighted to University Hospital in Columbia Missouri.
- 8 May 2012 Gainsille Times (Georgia) “Woman Hit by Propeller After Falling Off Boat” reports a woman, probably in her twenties, fell from the back of a boat approaching a ramp at Balus Creek Park on Lake Lanier. She slid into the propeller and received injuries to her hip, leg, and the right side of her back. She was life flighted to Gwinnett Medical Center.
- 28 April 2012 WTOK (Meridian Mississippi) “Archusa Boating Accident” reports about 9:30 Saturday morning (28 April) a boat on Archusa Lake struck a something in the water, the drive flipped in, and the still rotating propeller nearly severed a female passengers arm. She was life flighted to UMC in Jackson. PGIC note – this will not be classified as a propeller accident in the USCG BARD database because she was not in the water.
- 12 April 2012 This is Wiltshire (UK) “Boy Injured After Becoming Tangled in Boat Propeller in Devizes” reports a 9 year old boy from Sumerset was on a narrowboat family outing in Devizes. He fell in Monday 9 April (long Easter Weekend) in the Kennet and Avaon Canal near the Laywood Bridge about noon. The boat operator reversed the boat to retrieve him and he “got tangled up in the propeller.” The young boy suffered severe injuries to his lower leg and was life flighted to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol after he was stabilized.
- 10 April 2012 Blayney Chronicle (Australia) “Barry Man Loses Leg in Boating Accident” reports a 22 year old man was wakeboarding at Carcoar Dam about 4:15 pm on Good Friday (April 6th). As the boat left shore, he was “sucked under the boat” and the propeller struck his right leg. He was life flighted to Westmead Hospital where his leg was amputated.
- D 18 March 2012 “2 Martin County Men Die in Separate Incidents in Central Florida Race Boat Exhibition Over Weekend” reports Mark VanWinkle from Stuart Florida was operating a homemade 16 foot Jersey Skiff racing boat on Lake Dora on Saturday 17 March. The boat hit a wave, he and a passenger were ejected, VanWinkle was struck in the head by the propeller of another Jersey Skiff, and died from his injuries. This accident occurred during an exhibition of classic racing boats and may not be considered a USCG BARD reportable accident.
- 14 March 2012 “Kelly Overcomes Injury for Weekend” V8Supercars.com.au (Australia) reports Todd Kelly of Jack Daniels Racing cut the base of his left foot on on the propeller of his water ski boat while working on it Sunday (11 March). He was taken to Mildura by ambulance, then flown to Melbourne. He hopes to be able to wear a moon boot and drive in a race this weekend. The article cites BigPond Sport as its source.
- D 21 February 2012 The Telegraph (Australia) “Propeller May Have Killed Fisherman Found Near Hawks Nest, Newcastle” reports a 29 year old man from Anna Bay took off in his 7 meter fishing boat enroute to Tea Gardens to go prawning (their version of freshwater shrimping) by himself on February 20th. About an hour later, his unmanned fishing boat was seen circling. His body was found about 6 pm between Corrie Island and Winda Woppa. The man had suffered “severe lacerations to his stomach and legs.” Officials suspect he fell in and was killed by his boat’s propeller. ABC News Australia later identified the man as Grant Foster. They think the boat hit a sandbar near Hawks Nest and he was ejected. ABC also reports he left three young children.
- 12 February 2012 Stuff (New Zealand) “Man Hurt in Boating Accident” reports a male in his fifties was in a fishing boat near Motunau in North Canterbury about 5pm Saturday 11 February. As he was coming back to shore he was thrown under the boat and “hit the propellers with his legs.” The fisherman suffered multiple lacerations, was treated at the scene by paramedics, then life flighted to Christchurch Hospital.
- 20 January Accident Date – Australia – 17 February 2012 NSW Government: NSW Police: Latest Media Releases “Police Appeal for Witnesses Following Serious Boating Collision – Woy Woy” reports a 23 year old male wake boarder was on a 23 foot boat at Woy Woy Bay about 5:20pm on January 20, 2012. He fell from the boat, was struck by the propeller, taken to Woy Woy wharf, and life flighted to Royal North Shore Hospital. Surgeons amputated his right leg. Police are seeking witnesses to the accident.
- 19 January 2012 NineMSN (Australia) “Man Slashes by Runaway Tinny Propeller” reports two men were in a tinny on the Nerang River close to Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast about 2:30pm January 19. The men were ejected, the unmanned tiller steered boat continued to circle for 15 to 20 minutes, one many swam back to try to reboard the circling boat, “the propeller got him”. The other man drug him to shore. The victim “suffered horrific facial injuries”. He was rushed to the hospital. The runaway boat eventually crashed into a pontoon and turned upside down (caught on film).
- DDD 3 January 2012 IOL News (South Africa) “Trio Die in Freak Boat Tragedy” reports a Circle of Death triple fatality. A boat with three people on board was pulling two people on a tube at Bajadam resort on the southern side of Bronkhorstspruit Dam ( Bronkhorspruit ) made a sharp turn about 11:30 am January 2nd. All three on board were ejected, the boat began the Circle of Death, it is believed the three fatalities (Eddy dos Santos 42, Raymond da Costa 17, and Michelle Rujo 16) were repeatedly by the boat’s propeller.
- 2 January 2012 Canberra Times (Australia) “Woman Hurt in Propeller Accident” reports that this morning (January 2nd), the second day of the Navy George Bass Surfboat Marathan, a long ocean surfboat race held on the ocean off the NSW south coast, a female participant of the Gerringong team was struck by a boat propeller. She was in the open water waiting to be picked up by a support boat, and struck by that boat’s propeller as she climbed in. During the long race, new crew members are brought out by support boats, to speed the process up, those to be replaced just jump overboard and are picked up later by the support boat. The woman was taken to Moruya Hospital. PGIC note – The accident sounds reminiscent of the Luke Evslin 10 October 2010 accident in a Hawaiian canoe race. Evslin was jumping from an escort boat to a canoe as part of a crew replacement in a long race, and struck by the escort boat propeller.
