On tuesday, july 24, 2012 at approximately 12:30pm, Operator was operating vessel 1 at the intersection of the icw and mason's inlet near wrightsville beach.  On board the vessel was Operator's wife and their 17 year old son. Being towed behind the vessel on a knee board was their daughter.  Operator was towing his daughter on the knee board into the channel going into mason's inlet when she fell off the knee board.  He then circled around to her and operator’s wife noticed that her daughter's life jacket was twisted.  They then advised their daughter to come on board the vessel to fix her life jacket before getting back on the knee board.  Operator said that he thought he put the motor in neutral before his daughter came around to the stern of the boat to climb onto the ladder.  As daughter went to the stern, she screamed that she was cut by the prop.  Everyone helped her on board and discovered that her right leg was cut from her ankle to her calf.  They called 911 and wrightsville beach fire and ems met them at the wrightsville beach boating access area.  Daughter was then transported to cape fear hospital by ambulance and then to new hanover regional hospital by ambulance.  She was treated at the er and had surgery to repair an extensive cut from her heel to her calf muscle.  Her achillies tendon was severed and required pins in her foot and ankle.  Operator stated on august 1, 2012, that her leg was in a cast and she was recovering well. 

Operator was not charged in this incident.  He was instructed that he should always cut the motor off when someone’s in the water near the boat, especially near the stern because the propeller is still turning when the motor is in neutral. Operator stated that he thought the motor was in neutral, but was not sure.  Based on the extent of the cut, it appears that the motor was probably still in gear.

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH            