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The thrill of the UberSoca Cruise sailing adventure to St. Maarten was ruined on Tuesday when a male passenger’s lower leg was severed in a watercraft mishap.
According to police spokesperson Ethelwoldus Josepha, the passenger in question was either exiting or boarding a water taxi when he unexpectedly slipped in between the pier and the water taxi, causing the blade from the vessel’s propeller to severely injure his leg.
Images and videos of the incident that circulated on social media appeared to show the man’s lower right leg dismembered. The videos and photographs show others helping the injured man up off the pier, first wrapping his leg and then tying it to stop the bleeding.
According to Josepha, the passenger was brought to the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC), where he was treated. He stated that the passenger is still alive.
The inaugural UberSoca Cruise from Puerto Rico traveled from April 9 to 14, 2023, including stops in the US Virgin Islands (USVI), St. Maarten, and St. Lucia.