A weekend outing at Sawfish Bay Park in Jupiter turned serious Saturday when a man in the water was struck by a boat’s propeller and had to be airlifted to a trauma center, authorities said.
Emergency crews treated and stabilized the victim at the scene before arranging an airlift from the waterfront park.
According to WPBF, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue units were called to an open water incident along the Intracoastal Waterway near Old Dixie Highway around 2:05 p.m. Jupiter police spokesman Shawn Reed told the station that the man in the water suffered a leg injury after being hit by a boat propeller.
Sawfish Bay Park Is Intended For Non‑Motorized Craft
According to the Town of Jupiter, Sawfish Bay Park is a compact 2.5 acre waterfront site featuring a kayak and canoe launch, a boardwalk and a fishing pier. The park is primarily designed for non motorized watercraft, which makes it a favorite with paddlers and anglers but can raise the stakes when motorboats move through the basin while people are in the water.
Trauma Hawk Was Used To Move The Patient
According to Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, the county’s Trauma Hawk helicopters are staffed by paramedics and flight nurses and are used to quickly move critically injured patients to specialized trauma centers. First responders said the patient at Sawfish Bay Park was stabilized at the scene before being flown by Trauma Hawk to a local trauma hospital.
Boating Safety And Propeller Risks
The U.S. Coast Guard’s recreational boating resources report that recreational incidents on the water lead to thousands of injuries and hundreds of deaths each year, with propeller strikes remaining a persistent hazard on busy waterways. Boating safety advocates, including the National Safe Boating Council, urge vessel operators to use engine cut off devices, shut engines down whenever people are near the stern, wear life jackets and complete boater safety training courses to help reduce the risk of propeller related injuries.
No additional details about the victim’s identity or long term condition were available in the initial reports. Officials and local media may release further information as the investigation continues and hospital staff assess his recovery.
