Articles taken from New Zealand Newspapers on accidents involving boat propeller strikes.
Diver run over by own boat in freak Kawau Bay accident
From The Rodney Times, 22/02/1999
A Kawau Bay diver suffered back lacerations when he was run over by his own boat in a freak accident on Saturday. An English visitor, the 33 year old fell off the boat and was hit by it's propeller after starting the motor to pick up his diving partner a few hundred metres away.
He had not realised the motor was in gear and went overboard when the boat lurched forward. With the anchor still down the boat circled around the anchor rope and went over the top of the man.
He managed to swim to a nearby rock, and his diving companion went to his aid. The pair flagged down a passing boat to take the injured man to Sandspit. Warkworth St John Ambulance officers picked him up and took him to North Shore Hospital.
Propeller Slashes diver's leg
From The Evening Post, 13/12/1999
A diver's leg was slashed and broken after he was tangled in a boat propeller in Tory Channel yesterday. He was airlifted to Wellington Hospital in the Westpac Trust rescue helicopter with serious injuries.
A Wellington Free Ambulance paramedic treated the man. A spokesman from the crew said he understood the 41 year old Nelson man stepped off the back of the boat while it was still moving backwards.
Mercy Dash to save man's leg
From The Evening Post, 16/01/2001
A man was severely gashed when he was run over by his own boat in a freak accident at the Chatham Islands last night. Wellington's Life Flight Trust air ambulance made a five hour over-night mercy dash to save the 23 year old Chatham Islands man's leg. The freak accident occurred shortly after 5pm when the boat's 40hp outboard engine flicked into gear as the victim started it.
Trust Crew Chief Dave Greenberg said the man was thrown overboard and the boat began circling him, getting closer each time. "In a desperate bid to protect his head and chest the man kicked out at the boat, sending it off track of his head." Mr Greenberg said. "Unfortunately, the propeller struck the back of his right leg several times, causing severe damage."
Short out -takes from newspapers and accident reports:
In New Zealand in 1998 there were 123 strikes by boat propellers.
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A 46-year-old North Shore man died while diving for scallops with three friends off Kawau Island on 8 January when a 10 meter boat ran over him, its propeller killing him.
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A man jumped over the side of a boat to learn how to ski, whilst the vessel was towing a skier behind. When the vessel slowed down, the man sank in the water and was dragged by the current under the boat. He surfaced about 10 meters behind the boat. He received cuts on his leg and foot from the propeller.
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A diver was snorkeling. He sustained injuries consistent with having been hit by a propeller of a passing boat. The injuries proved to be fatal.
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Victim was assisting to launch a runabout when a wave caught the vessel as the motor was running and the propeller engaged. The wave swept the victim under the propeller area as the operator of the vessel accelerated away from the wharf. The victim received a deep gash to his left thigh.
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Passenger's foot was injured by the propeller when swimming towards dolphins.
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Injured person was seen to lose his balance on the inflatable sponson of the boat. He was seated on the port side and was the foremost passenger on that side. The skipper stopped the motor as soon as possible but as the boat was doing 20 miles per hour at the time it was too late to stop the injured person striking the propeller skeg and propeller with his arm.
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A 14 year old girl attending a party at a friend's home, jumped into the water by a lighted pier at midnight. Some young men were watching the party from their boats off the pier. One of them started their boat and turned hard to move further from the pier. The stern drive unit passed over the girl cutting her severely. Victim successfully sued for $4.5 million US.
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Propeller man's miracle escape
First published in The Argus, UK on Tuesday 03 September 2002:
by our news team
A man narrowly escaped death when he fell into the propellers of his inflatable boat.
Tim Maddran was within inches of becoming the third person to lose his life in the waters off Brighton this summer when he tumbled over the side of his dinghy. The 41-year-old fell against the propeller's blades, receiving gashes to his back and head as he struggled underwater.
His terrified girlfriend, Tracey Stanmore, 38, switched off the engine and Mr Maddran managed to fight his way to the surface. Coastguards were stunned by what they say was a miracle escape. The accident happened on Saturday afternoon as Mr Maddran and Miss Stanmore spent a day boating. After a couple of hours drifting between the two Brighton piers the pair set off for Shoreham harbour.
Mr Maddran, of Stonery Road, Portslade, said: "I normally sit inside the boat and steer but on this occasion my girlfriend decided to have a go so I sat on the side to tell her what to do. "I looked away for a moment and I was gone, straight over the side. "I felt a stunning blow but managed to get myself up to the surface as quickly as possible. "By then the boat was about 10ft away but I managed to swim back to it. "I didn't really understand what had happened until we saw the back of my T-shirt was shredded."
Mr Maddran said the propeller had felt like a cheese grater going over his back. He said: "Another couple of inches and it would have been curtains. I know I'm lucky to be alive. "I have got away with five stitches in my head and six fairly large grazes on my back."
Mr Maddran thanked Shoreham coastguards, who gave him emergency treatment on shore. He said: "In future I will be more cautious and I urge other people to stay inside their boats, especially children. It's true the sea is an evil mistress."
Coastguard Dave Cassan said he had not witnessed a luckier escape in his ten years based at Shoreham. He said: "This person had a line of propeller blade injuries on his spine, straight up the middle of his back and a cut to the back of his head. "His head was still bleeding when we got to him. It took the hospital about two hours to stem it. I have never seen someone come away from propeller injuries so lightly. "Normally a person hit by a propeller ends up with injuries which are either extreme or fatal. "Another half inch and we would have been talking about another fatality"
Mr Cassan said people who sat on the sides of boats put their lives at risk. He said: "This man was just doing what everyone else does. "A lot of people sit on the sides because it is nice and bouncy but all you have to do is glance away for a second and you're over. "I can't count the number of times I have seen speedboats leaving Shoreham harbour with children sitting on the bow. You cringe because it's a horror story waiting to happen."
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