The family of a young man hit by a propeller in the waters of the Lower Keys while diving for lobster with his father said on Friday that his recovery from "catastrophic" injuries is nothing short of miraculous.
The news conference began at 1 p.m.
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The victim, identified as 20-year-old Sean Bender, was lobstering near the Boca Chica Bridge with Steven Bender, when he was hit by a 19-foot 1988 Stratos, according to an incident report by Monroe County Sheriff's Office Sgt. J Moeller.
Bender suffered lacerations to his head, neck, right arm and shoulder, an incident report details. He was breathing and “barely responsive.”
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His neurosurgeon also spoke at the news conference at Jackson South Medical Center.
The family is raising funds at this link: http://spot.fund/jrzqtvsc.
The operator of the vessel that hit Bender said he was running under the bridge when he saw a person surface directly in front of his boat.
After he struck Bender, the operator stopped and brought both divers on board before driving to Key Haven Boat Ramp, where emergency response crews took Bender and flew him to a Miami hospital at around 8:09 a.m., according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
From interviews, Moeller gathered that “Steven and Sean had taken the inflatable dinghy from [their vessel, the Grady White,] to an area under the Boca Chica Bridge and were lobstering.”
The operator of the Stratos said he saw a dinghy “approximately two pilings over from where he struck the snorkeler,” and that it did not have a dive flag.
But a witness on another boat reportedly told a different deputy that there was a dive flag displayed.
When Moeller went to investigate and take pictures of the scene, the dinghy had been moved back to the Grady White by witnesses on that third boat.
The operator of the vessel does not currently face any charges in the crash.
