PatriYacht

Otis, I want to see those scars too.

Ben@SRP

On December 30, 2005 on our second day of our 11 day vacation while is the BVI’s, I was snorkeling in a protected dive area with a dive flag displayed; I was run over a drunk guy who was a German boat captain in his 12’ rigid inflatable hull. The skeg of the outboard impacted me directly centered in my forehead and then the prop hit me twice and cut into my skull and once on my back as the boat continued directly overtop of me. I was left with over 14” of laceration over my skull and a 6” gash on my right rear shoulder and a torn muscle in my shoulder. I was not knocked out and I maintained consciousness the entire time. If all of that wasn’t bad enough, when they tried to sew me up in the hospital in Tortola, BVI they had no Lidocane and they used what looked like “yarn” for suturey. The stitches were so bad that they had to all be cut out and removed the next day on the balcony of my hotel by my best friend (who happened to be an ex-trauma surgeon) who was with us for the trip to the BVI’s. Oh, and he happened to travel with his own Suture Kit and had Lidocane too… So while sitting in a chair on the balcony of my hotel, with my girlfriend Laura at my side acting as his nurse, my buddy cut out and redid all of the stitches in my head or at least until he ran out of thread. And thanks to him, I did not scar very badly at all.
And so you ask what happened to the German guy who ran me over? Well he was arrested, charged with reckless operation of a vessel that caused injury and was given a $500 fine and released! You gotta love the Law in “International Waters”…

But, I did get to keep my life… So that was WAY COOL!!!

Care to see: http://www.benhedrick.com/accident.htm

So believe me, I feel for this girl… Props HURT!!!

Freeryd

WOW!!!!! Sweet pics Ben! I mean...sorry it happend to ya but SWEET PICS! I'm not trying to be insensitive here....you get what i'm sayin.

Ben@SRP

No problem. I wear my scars proudly and I say; "Haircut, by Mercury..."

Ben

cbradley

Lesson learned the hard way on my boat by a friend this past weekend. Nobody believes cleaver props are that sharp till they learn the hard way.

R Addiction

Holy $hit!!!

R Addiction

Once again...Holy $hit!!

BlackJack58

You should have a shirt made. It's good that you can have a sense of humor about it.

So glad you are OK - you are very lucky to be alive!

Ben@SRP

Thanks! And if nothing else it has taught me that; "life is short, play like there is no tomorrow... But, watch out for thoses idiots that try and make sure that it there might be no tomorrow..."

Ben

JB4Boyne

Ben,
You are very lucky to be alive. Glad to see you are so upbeat about it. I'm sure have heard this before, but I have to say it. You should alter your name just a little.
From... Ben Hedrick
To........Been Headwrecked
Take care buddy and God bless