College Graduate Critically Injured On Bahamas Cruise Excursion

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A celebratory cruise turned into a devastating ordeal for 22-year-old Hannah Smith, who is now fighting for her life after a horrific ferry accident near Nassau, Bahamas.

College graduate Carnival excursion accident
Image credit: Rachel Smith/GoFundMe

Smith, a recent graduate from Miles College in Alabama, had set sail aboard Carnival Sunrise in May 2025 to mark her academic success – but the trip ended in tragedy.

Smith and her long-time friend Brooklyn Pitre had spent the day enjoying Pearl Island, a popular private destination just off the coast of Nassau.

As they were returning to the cruise port aboard a ferry with other passengers, Hannah somehow fell overboard – and into the vessel’s propellers.

“She just made the face like somebody fell… like, I’m in the water. But she didn’t look distraught. And then she disappeared,” Pitre recalled in an interview with WREG.

What followed was a desperate effort by Pitre and another woman onboard to pull her friend from the water – only to find it filled with blood from severe lower body injuries.

Tragic Circumstances and Swift Response

According to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the young woman sustained critical injuries after coming into contact with the ferry’s propellers while it was docking.

The captain reportedly placed the engines into neutral immediately, but the damage had already been done.

“The victim is alleged to have entered the water from a vessel she was a passenger on while it was attempting to dock,” police said in a statement. “She sustained serious injuries to her lower body, caused by the vessel’s propeller.”

Smith was rushed to hospital in Nassau, where she underwent two emergency surgeries. On 14th May, she was airlifted back to the United States for further treatment.

According to her family, she has now undergone at least six surgeries and remains in critical condition, facing what will likely be a long and difficult recovery.

While early police reports raised questions about whether Smith may have jumped and whether alcohol played a role, her family insists otherwise.

“Hannah was not intoxicated. She fell from the boat. It’s hurtful to say she jumped because she did not,” her mother, Tracy Smith, said in a public statement. “Were they drunk? No. Did she jump? No. Are we completely aware of what happened? No.”

Her father, Marvin Smith, also said medical staff in Nassau found Hannah to be “coherent” and “not inebriated” when she arrived at the hospital, further casting doubt on speculation surrounding the incident.

A GoFundMe page has been launched to support Hannah’s medical care, with a fundraising goal of $250,000. The family has expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support as they remain focused on her recovery.

As for the accident itself, the Royal Bahamas Police Force is continuing its investigation to determine how the fall occurred and whether any safety protocols were breached. It remains unclear whether any legal action will follow.

Carnival Sunrise, a Sunshine-class ship with capacity for over 2,900 guests, has not issued a public statement about the incident at this time.

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