A college graduate had both her legs severed by a boat propeller after she jumped overboard during an alcohol-fueled excursion in the Bahamas, according to a lawsuit.
Incident Details
Hannah Smith, 22, was celebrating her summa cum laude graduation from Miles College in Alabama with a friend while on a Carnival cruise last May. The lawsuit claims that staff on a catamaran ferry to Pearl Island Beach provided her with rum punch cocktails spiked with sedatives. When Smith asked for a restroom, she was told, “The ocean is your toilet,” prompting her to jump into the water. As she entered, the captain started the engine, causing her to be “violently and forcibly grabbed, sucked underwater and brutally slashed” by the propeller.
Her left leg was immediately amputated, but she managed to escape using her right leg and with help from her friend, Brooklyn Pitre, 22. The lawsuit states that when Smith was pulled from the water, her left leg was almost completely severed except for a sliver of skin, and she had multiple gashes on both legs and her pelvis. She lost over 60 percent of her blood.
Medical Response and Recovery
Smith was rushed to a hospital in Nassau, then flown to a Miami hospital in critical condition. She received 20 units of blood and underwent 25 surgeries, including amputation of her right leg below the knee, before being discharged two months later.
Allegations Against Staff
The lawsuit accuses the excursion staff of “grooming” Smith and her friends by providing complimentary 16-ounce cups of rum punch. A bartender allegedly poured a potent drink spiked with a sedative directly into Smith’s mouth, and a worker encouraged her to smoke marijuana. Smith’s blood alcohol level was 0.447, over four times Florida’s legal limit.
Legal Action
Smith is suing the tour group Pearl Investment Management Group, boat operator Sun Cay, and Carnival Cruise Line for negligence. Her lawyers argue that Carnival marketed the trip as safe. A Carnival spokesperson said, “Our thoughts are with Ms. Smith… We are unable to comment further due to ongoing legal proceedings.” The Independent has contacted Carnival for additional comment.
