Trauma on the water

We are writing regarding the dangers of Jet-ski-type watercraft. Anyone who has been around the water the past few years is aware of their growing popularity. However, too many people look at them as only a toy, an amusement, that is acceptable to entertain on the water. Many people who climb aboard are using someone else’s machine and are mostly aware of how to start and stop it. Most of these people do not know water safety rules or laws. Much danger lies in this lack of knowledge.

Our daughters all grew up in and around the lake where we have a summer cottage. They are all aware of water safety and laws. But even with this knowledge, a near-fatal accident occurred to one of our daughters a year ago. She was a passenger on a two-person watercraft and fell off the back as the driver turned and accelerated the machine. The water exhausting throughout the machine forcefully entered and perforated about 10 inches of her lower bowel. She was immediately transported from the lake to Eastern Maine Medical Center where she was very fortunate to have a surgeon on call who handled the situation in a very timely manner, and literally saved her life.

Our daughter had to have a temporary colostomy to allow the bowel to heal. Because of this accident her wedding had to be delayed about two months. She was in severe pain for most of the 10 days she spent in the hospital, and had a slow, uncomfortable recovery. The initial surgery was followed up eight weeks later by another surgery to reverse the colostomy, and reattach the bowel. This was a traumatic experience for her physically as well as emotionally.

We viewed this as a freak accident, but did tell people about it to inform them of the unforeseen dangers of this watercraft. We’ve often wondered if it had enough force to do this much damage to a young woman, what would it do to a young child who fell into the water behind it as it was taking off? It would have the potential to kill.

It has been more than a year since the accident and other than the emotional turmoil and the surgical scars she’ll always carry, she has recovered well, and we had considered this all behind us.

But we were recently informed that another young lady has had the same surgeries for the same injuries from a similar watercraft. Now we feel guilty that we didn’t write sooner maybe to reach someone like her and prevent this from happening.

We now think people should be informed of the potential danger of these machines and encouraged to wear a wet suit, or ay least wet-suit shorts, to help prevent this type of accident. We have always believed in enjoying sports, especially water sports, but always repecting their potential for danger. George and Diane Bilodeau Millinocket