Hannah Smith, 22, says a Catamaran Ferry excursion near Pearl Island Beach in the Bahamas turned catastrophic when a boat propeller allegedly tore through both of her legs. In a lawsuit filed after doctors amputated both limbs, she claims excursion staff overs
For Hannah Smith, the graduation trip that was supposed to celebrate a new chapter ended with a soundless horror and a fight to stay alive.
In court documents. the 22-year-old college graduate alleges that during a Catamaran Ferry excursion near Pearl Island Beach in the Bahamas last May. a boat propeller tore through both of her legs. Smith says the incident happened while she was on a Carnival Cruise graduation trip with a friend following her recent graduation from Alabama’s Miles College.
The lawsuit paints a day that was far from controlled. Smith claims excursion staff continuously supplied guests with alcohol throughout the outing and encouraged marijuana use during the day. She alleges that as soon as guests arrived on the island. staff provided complimentary rum punch. with one employee reportedly pouring drinks directly into her mouth. The complaint further alleges another staff member encouraged Smith and her friend to smoke marijuana.
As the trip neared its end, Smith says her situation took a terrifying turn. She became desperate to use the restroom and says staff encouraged her to get into the water to relieve herself. In the filing, Smith claims workers assured her the boat’s engine had been shut off.
Smith says she held onto a railing for roughly 20 seconds in the water before trying to climb back aboard. Then she felt herself being pulled underneath the vessel. The complaint alleges that while she remained in the water, the boat’s captain engaged an idling engine. Smith says the propeller spun in reverse and struck her legs.
The injuries, according to the lawsuit, were devastating. Smith alleges the propeller nearly severed her left leg below the knee and caused severe wounds across both legs and her pelvic area. She reportedly managed to free herself before pleading for help from her friend.
What happened next, the court filing says, unfolded like a medical emergency racing against time. Smith lost more than 60% of her blood, the lawsuit states. Medical teams rushed her to a hospital in Nassau before transferring her to Miami in critical condition. Despite multiple surgeries and blood transfusions, doctors were ultimately unable to save either leg.
According to the complaint, surgeons fully amputated her left leg and later amputated her right leg below the knee.
In her lawsuit. Smith names the tour operator Sun Cay. Pearl Investment Management Group. and others tied to the excursion. alleging negligence and claiming they could have prevented the tragedy. She also names Carnival Cruise, alleging the cruise line promoted the excursion as a safe and vetted activity for passengers.
A day meant for celebration has become a legal fight—one built around a single question that never stops echoing: how did a routine excursion end with both legs gone?
Hannah Smith lawsuit Carnival Cruise Bahamas excursion Pearl Island Beach Catamaran Ferry propeller injury leg amputation Sun Cay Pearl Investment Management Group