Jacksonville father hospitalized after boating accident

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville begetter was recovering successful a infirmary connected Tuesday aft helium astir mislaid his limb successful a boating mishap implicit the weekend.

James Raulerson said helium was thrown from his vessel connected Sisters Creek connected Saturday day and his limb was caught successful the propeller.

Raulerson told News4JAX that helium has been sportfishing determination each play for years and helium ne'er imagined astir losing his limb doing what helium loves the most: spending clip retired connected the water.

“I’ve been highly blessed. I don’t adjacent cognize however I made it this far,” helium said Tuesday.

Raulerson explained that helium was heading successful from sportfishing connected Saturday erstwhile his 16-foot vessel deed a large wake, which helium said was from a larger vessel that chopped him off, and mislaid control.

“The chemoreceptor of my vessel plowed, and it turned left, and I was ejected instantly disconnected the broadside of the boat,” Raulerson recounted. “And that’s erstwhile the propeller chewed my limb up.”

Raulerson said helium was wearing a information termination switch, but it did not activate. For 10 minutes, helium said, helium was near successful the h2o screaming for his assistance arsenic his vessel kept moving successful circles. Fortunately, Raulerson said, a begetter and lad came to the rescue.

Ad

“A feline successful a ranger boat, I seen down the bank, and I said, ‘Save me, prevention me,’” Raulerson said. “He came and got me.”

Raulerson was taken to enactment and rushed to UF Health Jacksonville. Doctors saved his arm, which is present breached and with galore stitches and screws. Despite needing much surgeries, including tegument grafts, Raulerson said helium is thankful.

“That’s the portion I support replaying successful my head, like, what if my limb wasn’t up and I went caput archetypal you know? It could person — I don’t adjacent wanna deliberation astir that,” Raulerson said.

The begetter of 2 said helium is anxious to retrieve truthful helium tin get backmost to enactment arsenic a plumber, but astir importantly, truthful helium tin get location to his household earlier Christmas.

A GoFundMe page has been created to assistance Raulerson and his family.

Ad

News4JAX reached retired to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and a spokesperson said they are investigating the boating accident.

Safety tips for boaters

Raulerson wants his acquisition to beryllium a reminder to ever beryllium vigilant connected the water.

News4JAX talked with Freedom Boat Club proprietor Lisa Almeida, who said she ever recommends having a 2nd idiosyncratic onboard.

“That archetypal mate is the lookout, helping the captain, ‘Hey, bash you spot that vessel coming up oregon bash you spot that implicit there?’” Almeida said.

Almeida besides said boaters person to ever beryllium liable for their wake.

“So making definite if you’re successful a dilatory zone, you’re going dilatory oregon that you’re not going excessively adjacent to idiosyncratic else,” she said.

Copyright 2021 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.