A 22-year-old college graduate lost both her legs after jumping overboard during a boat trip in the Bahamas, according to a lawsuit filed in the US. Hannah Smith alleges that staff on a catamaran ferry encouraged her to jump into the water to use it as a toilet, then started the engine, causing her to be pulled into the propeller.
The incident occurred in May last year while Smith was on a day trip to Pearl Island Beach during a Carnival cruise. She was celebrating graduating summa cum laude from Miles College in Alabama. The lawsuit claims that bar staff plied her with rum punch cocktails spiked with sedatives, and that her blood alcohol level reached 0.447, over four times the legal limit for driving in Florida.
Smith's left leg was immediately amputated by the propeller, and she suffered severe injuries to her right leg and pelvis. She lost over 60% of her blood and underwent 25 surgeries, including the amputation of her right leg below the knee. She was hospitalised for two months.
The lawsuit names Pearl Investment Management Group, Sun Cay, and Carnival Cruise Line, arguing that Carnival marketed the trip as safe. A Carnival spokesperson expressed sympathy but declined to comment further due to ongoing legal proceedings.
