RedactedNarrative: On Sunday, October 30, 2022, around 1200 hours, boating accident FWC22ON0096098 occurred in Clearwater Sound, just northeast of Clearwater Pass. The operator of V1 had just put the vessel into neutral while her husband was in the water at the stern of the vessel, tying up the anchor line. The victim was swept into the turning propeller by the current, which caught his swimsuit and resulted in severe lacerations to his left gluteal area. The victim was transported to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Pete where he was subsequently released after receiving numerous stitches and staples. 
  I made contact with the operator of the vessel whom was still on the vessel, docked at Seminole Street Boat Ramp. I had OP1 start the vessel in neutral in order to observe whether or not the propeller was turning when the motor was taken out of gear. I was not able to observe the propeller underwater with the engine running and tilted up, due to the lack of water clarity. I therefore used a long pole to carefully check for a spinning propeller at neutral with the motor on. I was able to confirm that the propeller was spinning at a good rate by gently touching it with the long pole while the motor was in neutral and with the engine running.
  As a result of my investigation, I believe there were several factors that led to this accident occurring. The first factor was the failure of the operator to shut the engine off with her husband being in the water, at the stern of the vessel, near the outboard. Experienced and prudent boaters know that a motor in neutral does not guarantee that the propeller will not be spinning. The other contributing factor was the failure of the victim to judge the strong current and stay away from the running motor. The final factor and most crucial reason for the injury that occurred to the victim was related to mechanical failure. Other than a slight movement of the propeller due to engine vibration or strong tidal current, the propeller of an outboard motor should not be spinning as if it were in gear. 
  When I checked the propeller with the engine on and in neutral, it was turning about 100-200 rpm's with no current. That is a mechanical defect and a major safety malfunction that resulted in the injuries to the victim. If the motor had been working correctly, there should have been no significant turning of the propeller, and the victim would have likely only received a minor cut from running into the propeller. ; Victim sustained fairly deep lacerations to his left gluteal area with numerous stitches and staples as a result of being struck by a prop that was spinnning while the outboard was in neutal gear.
  