A brilliant young arts graduate is fighting for life after she was sucked into a ferry propeller during a tropical cruise excursion in the Bahamas, the Daily Mail can reveal.
Hannah Smith’s parents said she fell off the side of the pontoon boat when it came into dock in Nassau last Monday.
The 22-year-old artist, who graduated summa cum laude this month from Miles College in Alabama, was dragged under the water by the whirring propeller blades which slashed and partially severed her legs.
She was only saved from drowning when two female passengers managed to grab her arm and heroically haul her back on board.
Hannah, from Memphis, Tennessee, was rushed to the hospital then airlifted back to the US for emergency surgery where she remains in critical condition.
Police sources suggested to the Daily Mail that alcohol likely played a role in the horrifying accident and that Hannah jumped into the water.
But her mom Tracy Smith pushed back furiously, saying: ‘Hannah was not intoxicated. She fell from the boat. It’s hurtful to say she jumped because she did not.’
Hannah Smith, 22, is fighting for life after she was sucked into a ferry propeller during a tropical cruise excursion in the Bahamas after falling overboard
Hannah and her best friend Brooklyn were heading back from an excursion to Pearl Island, a tropical getaway offering pristine beaches, snorkeling, and encounters with swimming pigs and dolphins
Tracy also questioned why Hannah’s best friend Brooklyn Pitre hadn’t been interviewed by investigators despite witnessing the accident first-hand.
‘These kids work their a***s off to graduate. It was a celebratory trip,’ she added.
‘Do they have fun? Yes. Were they drunk? No. Did she jump? No. Are we completely aware of what happened? No.
‘But could there have been a safety mechanism that was off, was the boat rocking, we are not 100 percent sure of that.
‘There are so many things that could have been happening. I want to know the truth. This was a young woman, happy, celebrating her life and now she’s fighting for it.’
Hannah’s dad Marvin said he spoke to the doctor who treated her when she arrived at Doctors Hospital in Nassau.
‘The doctor suggested she was coherent when they first got to the hospital,’ he told the Daily Mail.
‘Everything he said suggested she was not inebriated.’
Hannah this month graduated summa cum laude from Miles College, a historically black liberal arts college in Birmingham, Alabama
Hannah’s accident was the second serious incident involving a US college student in Nassau this week.
Gaurav Jaisingh, a 21-year-old senior at Bentley University in Massachusetts, was killed on Sunday when he slipped and fell from a hotel balcony during a pre-graduation trip.
Locals warned that American youngsters could get themselves into difficulty because the rum cocktails and tropical drinks served in the Bahamas sometimes contain more alcohol than they were accustomed to in the US.
Hannah arrived in Nassau on Monday as a passenger on the Carnival Sunrise after booking a luxury Caribbean cruise to celebrate her May 3 graduation from Miles College, a historically black liberal arts college in Birmingham, Alabama.
She and Brooklyn were heading back from an excursion to Pearl Island, a tropical getaway offering pristine beaches, snorkeling, and encounters with swimming pigs and dolphins.
Preliminary reports suggest Hannah entered the water moments after the 70-ft pontoon ferry docked on the western end of Nassau Cruise Port at 3.55pm.
The ferry’s captain told cops he heard frantic cries of ‘she jumped off’ and a banging sound coming from the starboard side of the vessel.
He spotted Hannah in the water, surrounded by a pool of blood, and immediately put the engine into neutral.
Hannah was only saved from drowning when two female passengers managed to grab her arm and heroically haul her back on board
A deckhand told investigators that he saw two female passengers clutching Hannah’s arm and dragging her back onto the vessel.
She was taken by ambulance to the hospital with ‘serious’ injuries to her legs and lower body before being flown to the US Wednesday where she has undergone further surgeries.
Marvin paid tribute to his daughter as a ‘scholar, leader and community advocate’ in a heartrending GoFundMe appeal.
‘Hannah graduated at the top of her class with Summa Cum Laude, from Miles College, earning respect and admiration from her peers, professors and sorority sisters,’ he wrote.
‘Known for her dedication to service, academic excellence and uplifting others, Hannah now finds herself in need of the community’s support.
‘Hannah was tragically injured in an accident that has left her facing multiple surgeries, long term rehabilitation and mounting medical bills.’
Hannah’s older sister Rachel added: ‘Hannah is light. Hannah is love. Hannah is absolutely HER.
‘Our little sister is nothing short of a headache but we wouldn’t want her any other way. She is literally the strongest of us all (She’s a gym rat).
‘We’re praying you continue to be the strongest and fight for your life, your dreams and aspirations.
‘This boating accident will not define your life. We need you to have many more birthdays, more holidays, more life experiences.’
Hannah, from Memphis, Tennessee , was rushed to the hospital then airlifted back to the US for emergency surgery where she remains in critical condition
Hannah graduated with a degree in communications and graphic design. She was also a popular member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
‘Sending our deepest prayers and support to recent graduate Hannah Smith, Summa Cum Laude Class of 2025, who is currently in critical condition,’ Miles College wrote on Facebook.
‘Hannah exemplifies the Golden Standard, and we are believing in her full recovery. We ask our Miles family and extended community to keep her lifted in prayer and to support however you can.’
Carnival has been approached for comment.
The Royal Bahamas Police confirmed an investigation was underway, adding in a statement: ‘The victim is alleged to have entered the water from a vessel she was a passenger on while it was attempting to dock.
‘She sustained serious injuries to her lower body, caused by the vessel’s propeller.’
