Boat Propeller Injuries: How They Happen and How They Are Prevented

How do propeller strikes happen?

The patterns repeat:

• Swimmers near the stern while the engine is idling or the boat is repositioned.
• People boarding from the water on a swim ladder or platform while the engine runs.
• Falls overboard from the bow or a seat on the front deck, where the person goes under the boat and into the propeller.
• Tow sports, when the boat circles back to pick up a fallen skier or tuber.
• Backing up toward a beach, a dock, or people standing in shallow water.

In almost every case, the operator did not know exactly where a person was at the moment the propeller turned.

Why can't the operator see?

From the helm of most boats, the stern, the swim platform, and the water directly behind and below are hidden. On a pontoon boat or houseboat, the helm sits well forward. The operator has to rely on counting people, assigning someone to watch, and keeping the engine off rather than on what he can see.

What do careful operators do?

• Shut the engine off, not just in neutral, when anyone is in the water near the boat.
• Count everyone aboard before putting the engine in gear.
• Keep passengers off the bow and the front of pontoon decks while under way.
• Approach a person in the water slowly, with the person in clear view, never by backing toward them.
• Use a spotter for tow sports, as many states require.
• Use propeller guards, sensors, or warning devices where they fit the boat and the use.

What do investigators look at?

Where each person was, whether the engine was running and in gear, who was at the helm and what he could see, whether passengers were riding in unsafe positions, and whether the boat's design or equipment made the risk worse. Engineers may examine the propeller and the boat for design questions. Witness statements and phone video often show the positions of people in the water.

Questions to ask your attorney

• Was the engine running or in gear when the strike happened, and how do we prove it?
• Who was responsible for watching the people in the water?
• Should an engineer look at the boat's design or the propeller?
• Was a rental or charter company involved, and what did it tell passengers?

Related

• Pontoon Boat and Houseboat Accidents

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About the author

Captain Mitchell S. Stoller is a Master Mariner Unlimited, former Exxon tanker master, and former Los Angeles Harbor pilot. About Captain Stoller