A young woman celebrating her summa cum laude college graduation experienced a traumatic freak accident in The Bahamas that resulted in her legs being severed.
When the boating incident occurred on May 12, Hannah Smith, 22, was allegedly on the first day of her trip. According to the Daily Mail, she and a friend, Brooklyn Pitre, were on a celebratory Carnival Sunrise cruise after graduating. The two were returning to the ship via a pontoon ferry after doing off-ship excursions. As the small boat docked around 3:55 p.m. at Nassau Cruise Port, Hannah found herself in the water. The ferry’s propellers reportedly dragged the young woman under the water, then partially severed her legs and surrounded her in blood. Two of the boat’s female passengers were able to pull Hannah out of the water, and she went to a local hospital.
Two days later, the Memphis, Tennessee, native was transferred to a hospital back in the United States for emergency surgery. Updates provided by her family (shared on GoFundMe) note that Hannah has undergone over 10 surgeries in the two and a half weeks following the boating incident. Though she suffered some medical setbacks and doctors performed extensive procedures, the recent graduate has been pulling through.
It remains unclear how exactly Hannah ended up in the water, as sources differ. The pontoon ferry’s captain allegedly told local authorities that Hannah jumped into the water. Police claim that alcohol consumption possibly played a role in the tragic incident. However, the recent graduate’s parents, Tracy and Marvin Smith, deny that their daughter was inebriated.
What Else Is There To Know About Hannah Smith And The Boating Incident In The Bahamas?
The recent graduate and Delta Sigma Theta sorority member studied communications and graphic design at Miles College, a Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) institution in Alabama. A family member has created a GoFundMe to aid Hannah with her medical costs and recovery. At the beginning of the fundraiser’s description, it describes Hannah as a young woman who is “love” and “light.”
“This boating accident will not define your life,” declared Hannah’s family member in the GoFundMe’s description. “We need you to have many more birthdays, more holidays, more life experiences… While on what was supposed to be a beautiful trip to the Bahamas, Hannah was involved in a tragic accident that nearly claimed her life. Through the grace of God, she’s still with us, but the road ahead is long, filled with surgeries, recovery, and overwhelming medical costs.”
As of this reporting, the fundraiser has received over 1,200 donations. It’s currently at over $50,500 of its $250,000 goal. A May 29 update on Hannah’s well-being said, “This journey is taking a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual toll. Please keep her lifted in your thoughts and prayers. She is fighting!!!”
In late March, the State Department updated its travel advisory for Americans traveling to The Bahamas. The alert included a notice regarding crime, swimming-related risks, and traveling with firearms and ammunition on the Caribbean island.
