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A water skier was seriously hurt in Penticton yesterday afternoon when his feet were caught by a boat’s propeller.
Firefighters believe the man, 55, had finished skiing in Okanagan Lake and was coming back into the vessel’s swimming grid when his feet were injured by the propeller.
The driver had thought the boat was in neutral, Penticton Fire Department’s Cpt Graham Gowe said.
“It was a very unfortunate accident,” Cpt Gowe explained.
Firefighters assisted the man when he was brought back to the marina in the boat, helping to stop the bleeding.
He was then taken to Penticton Regional Hospital.
“It could be a life-changing injury,” Cpt Gowe added. “But he didn’t have any pain.
“I’ve not seen an injury like that in a long time, but he didn’t feel anything. He was just a little light-headed.”
The man’s left ankle “took the worst of it,” Cpt Gowe said, suffering a very serious laceration.
Cpt Gowe also wanted to stress an important safety message for people out on boats.
“Just turn the engine off when swimmers are around,” he emphasized.
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