Ranger Ben Moore was patrolling by boat off the coast of Horn Island on the afternoon of May 27th when he was flagged down by people on a 23-foot Baja. When he got to the boat, Moore found that they had just pulled a 35-year-old woman who was a member of their party out of the ocean. He determined that she’d sustained severe facial injuries and was beyond resuscitation. The woman, a resident of Long Beach, Mississippi, had evidently been swimming near the boat while the outboard motor was under power. While climbing back on board via the stern ladder, she lost her footing, fell back into the water, and was hit by the spinning prop. Another member of the party attempted to rescue her, but she never regained consciousness. Although the incident remains under investigation, it appears at present that alcohol may have been a significant contributing factor.
