Boater jumps into shallow water and suffers ‘immediate paralysis,’ Florida cops say
.png "A woman’s jump from a pontoon boat turned dangerous in west Florida’s Choctawhatchee Bay, after the water proved to be shallower than she expected.")
A woman’s jump off a pontoon boat turned tragic in Florida’s Choctawhatchee Bay after the water proved to be too shallow.
It happened Sunday, July 31, near the sea wall on Okaloosa Island, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The barrier island is a popular tourist destination about 40 miles east of Pensacola.
“Local first responders were called to a medical emergency ... after a woman jumped feet first from an anchored pontoon boat into very shallow water,” the sheriff’s office.
“She experienced immediate paralysis to her lower extremities.”
First responders from Okaloosa County and nearby Fort Walton Beach reached the boat at the same time and found the victim still in the water.
“They ... pulled the alert and conscious victim to shore on a large float,” the sheriff’s office said. “We are sending prayers for her recovery.”
The identity and age of the victim were not released. She was referred to as a “young lady” by Fort Walton Beach police.
A photo released by the sheriff’s office shows the pontoon boat was not far from shore when it happened.
Okaloosa Island is a 3-mile-long barrier island that separates Choctawhatchee Bay from the Gulf of Mexico and it has multiple recreational boat access points. It is part of Gulf Islands National Seashore, according to DestinFWB.com.
This story was originally published August 1, 2022 at 1:34 PM with the headline "Boater jumps into shallow water and suffers ‘immediate paralysis,’ Florida cops say."