By Bob Currie, Recreational Boating Safety Specialist
U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Station Galveston Flotilla
A few years ago, a neighbor of mine was fishing commercially for blue crabs by himself in a boat set up for crabbing. My neighbor had a large quantity of crab traps stretched out over a couple of miles. The crab traps themselves are weighted to sink to the bottom with a buoy attached so that it floated above and marked the location of the trap. My neighbor had a supply of freshly baited crab traps stacked on the stern. He would approach a trap in the water, snag the buoy line, pull the crab trap aboard, and toss a freshly baited trap in the water, all in the matter of a few seconds. For some reason he slipped and fell overboard with the boat still under power. With no one at the helm, the boat steering torqued over to full starboard, and the boat began circling at speed. My neighbor was subsequently run over by his own boat and the spinning propeller killed him. We call this phenomenon the Circle of Death.

There has been an increase in the number of boat propeller injuries and deaths, with four deaths occurring within the same recent week. This column will discuss how this type of accident can happen and how such accidents can be prevented.

Causes of Propeller Accidents
The general cause of propeller accidents is failure to operate a boat motor properly and safely. It’s kind of like hunting accidents, which are caused by failing to handle a firearm properly and safely. No one wants these things to happen, but people just don’t think about the dangerous device attached so closely to the boat occupants. Here are some more specific causes of propeller accidents:

1. Starting in gear, resulting in someone being tossed overboard and being run over
2. Operating a boat in close proximity to swimmers in the water
3. Being thrown overboard due to rough water or hitting something below the surface (Circle of Death due to no Emergency Kill Switch)
4. Falling overboard due to improper seating, such as riding the bow
5. Running over divers in the water (failing to observe the Diver Down flag)
6. Running over persons being towed by another boat
7. Running over your own passengers being towed (often when circling or turning)

Hydrodynamic Effect
August 15, 2023 – A toddler has tragically died after falling off a boat and being struck by the vessel’s propeller in Salt Lake City, Utah. Three-year-old Walter Enslin Greer was riding on a boat with family at Echo State Park on Sunday afternoon when he fell into the water and was fatally hit by a propeller. In one second an engaged propeller can inflict 16 strikes with engine RPM at 3,200. A person does not have to be directly in the path of a propeller. A force called hydrodynamic effect can suck you under the boat and into the path of a propeller’s rapidly spinning blades.

Two Types of Diver Down Flags

Eight Ways to Prevent Propeller Strikes
Here is a list of things you can do to prevent propeller strikes, brought to you by DAN, the Divers Assistance Network. As a former scuba diver I can tell you the sound of a speeding boat directly overhead is unmistakable and frightening.

1. Avoid alcohol consumption while on board. This applies to your passengers, as well.
2. Use a kill-switch with lanyard (a.k.a. kill cord) at all times to automatically shut off the engine in the event something happens to the driver.
3. Avoid swimming zones and stay a safe distance away from dive flags. Maintain a distance of at least 300 feet from flags and buoys in open water and at least 100 feet in inlets or navigation channels.
4. Ensure the engine is off and the propeller is still before allowing boarding or disembarking. This includes the swim platform; do not allow anyone near it while the engine is in gear.
5. Make it clear to your passengers that they must stay clear of the propeller at all times, even when it is not moving. An immobile propeller can still cause injury.
6. Before starting the boat, make sure no one is swimming or diving near or under the boat.
7. Do not allow people to sit on the transom, bow, or gunwales. All it takes is one good bounce or unexpected swerve to send your passengers overboard.
8. Constantly look for people in the water. Do not assume divers and swimmers are always visible. Glare from the sun, waves, passenger activities, weather conditions and other factors can make visibility challenging.

Summary
Propeller deaths and injuries are avoidable if you follow proper safety and handling rules. While the Circle of Death is one way that a person in the water may be killed or injured, be sure to be aware of the other types of accidents and operate in a manner that avoids those dangerous conditions. Be sure your passengers are properly seated and remain so.

[BC: Aug-22-2023]