June 2, 2025
Police said alcohol may have prompted Hannah Smith to jump into the water, but her parents deny that happened.
A freshly minted Miles College graduate lost her legs after a freak accident in the Bahamas.
Hannah Smith was celebrating her accomplishment on a Carnival cruise voyage in the Caribbean last month when she fell off the side of a pontoon boat during an excursion in Nassau, her parents told The Daily Mail.
The boat’s propeller blades continued to keep Smith under, slashing her legs until two other female passengers lifted her back onto the ferry. The 22-year-old was promptly taken to the hospital and then airlifted back to the United States for emergency surgery.
Police said alcohol may have prompted Smith to jump into the water, which her parents deny.
“Hannah was not intoxicated,” insisted her mother, Tracy Smith. “She fell from the boat. It’s hurtful to say she jumped because she did not.”
Tracy Smith also called out investigators for not properly questioning others who witnessed the incident, including Smith’s best friend and travel mate Brooklyn Pitre.
“Do they have fun? Yes. Were they drunk? No. Did she jump?” Tracy Smith said. “No…Are we completely aware of what happened? No. But could there have been a safety mechanism that was off, was the boat rocking? We are not 100 percent sure of that.”
Smith’s father said that the doctor who first treated her in Nassau did not find her intoxicated. However, the boat’s captain told authorities that he heard passengers staying she “jumped off.”
“There are so many things that could have been happening. I want to know the truth,” added Tracey Smith. ” This was a young woman, happy, celebrating her life, and now she’s fighting for it.’
The family has since launched a GoFundMe to help cover Smith’s medical expenses. Calling her “the strongest of us all,” they have reached out to their overarching community for support during this “unimaginable” time.
“We’re praying you continue to be the strongest and fight for your life, your dreams and aspirations. This boating accident will not define your life. We need you to have many more birthdays, more holidays, more life experiences. We love you endlessly,” detailed the GoFundMe’s description.
The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority member received her bachelor’s degree in the arts last month from the Alabama school, graduating summa cum laude.
“Hannah exemplifies the Golden Standard, and we are believing in her full recovery,” Miles College wrote on Facebook. “We ask our Miles family and extended community to keep her lifted in prayer and to support however you can.”
Hannah Smith remains in critical condition as the Royal Bahamas Police continues its investigation.
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