‘Good Samaritan’ turns snorkeler’s severed arm over to Coast Guard rescue crew
This story has been updated to include the names of the man injured in the accident and the operator of the boat.
A Thanksgiving ocean dive for a snorkeler turned tragic when a boat ran over him and severed his arm.
The incident happened when the man was snorkeling with other divers off the Palm Beach shoreline near Root Trail, WPTV reported.
On Saturday, WPTV reported that the man is Carter Viss, a 25-year-old marine biologist who works for Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach.
On Friday, his mother, Leilla Viss, started a page on Caring Bridge to keep family and friends updated on Viss’ recovery.
Her post: “On Thanksgiving Day, Carter was out doing what he loved most: diving in the ocean near Palm Beach with a good friend. As a marine biologist, who works for a turtle rescue center, Carter has always valued ocean life and ocean safety. While he was out diving, he took every safety precaution possible and put his flag up to indicate where he was diving. Unfortunately, he was run over by a boat. Carter lost his right arm, sustained a break to his left wrist, and has severe injuries to both his legs.”
Investigators told WPBF ABC 25 News that a boat captain operating a 2008 36-foot Yellowfin saw the dive flags Viss and his dive partner had placed in the water and said he tried to stop but could not do so in time.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission identified the boat captain as Daniel Stanton, 30, of Palm Beach, the Sun Sentinel reported.
Rescue teams from the U.S. Coast Guard’s Lake Worth station, Palm Beach Fire Rescue, Palm Beach Police and the Florida Fish and Wildlife responded to the scene.
According to reports, a Good Samaritan turned Viss’ arm over to the Coast Guard rescue team who then gave it to fire rescue paramedics on shore, the Sun Sentinel reported.
The Coast Guard had set up security zones and planned routine patrols this month through February not far away from the Mar-a-Lago Resort after President Donald Trump declared his property his official residence, Space Coast News reported. One of the Coast Guard’s 45-foot rescue boats was called out to assist the snorkeler.
“You always need to be prepared for the worst case scenario when diving,” Coast Guard lieutenant commander Jason Neiman told the Sun Sentinel as he urged divers to take precautions that included diving with others and telling people of all dive plans.
A witness, Samantha Marulli, told WPTV she was on the beach when she saw numerous divers in the water and a boat approach.
“A boat came along and went right over them. When they pulled him out of the water, he didn’t have an arm. The fireman used a paddle board to go out with a bag to get the arm,” Marulli told the station.
Viss was sent to the trauma unit of St. Mary’s Medical Center with life threatening injuries, WPBF ABC25 reported. He was still in critical condition Saturday morning, WPTV reported.
The incident is under investigation.
This story was originally published November 29, 2019 at 8:39 AM.
