22-year-old Vermont woman loses legs in deadly Bahamas tour boat explosion
Stefanie Schaffer was among nine people injured when the boat exploded Saturday, killing a U.S. citizen.
RUTLAND, Vt. (AP) — A woman who used to be an avid ballet dancer suffered serious injuries in a deadly Bahamas tour boat explosion and had her lower legs amputated.
Stefanie Schaffer, a 22-year-old student at Castleton University, was among nine people injured when the boat exploded Saturday, killing a U.S. citizen.
Schaffer also suffered broken arms, a fractured spine and internal injuries, The Rutland Herald reported. Her mother suffered a fractured lower right leg, a shattered left ankle, a fractured wrist and broken ribs.
EXCLUSIVE: Survivors of fatal Bahamas boat explosion speak out for the first time. https://t.co/bgYFs6aG7g pic.twitter.com/fgk2H4D1r9
— ABC News (@ABC) July 3, 2018
Relatives and friends were trying to help the family through an online fundraising campaign that had raised $105,000 by Tuesday.
‘‘Thank you to all of you who have followed and supported, the family is deeply humbled by all the love,’’ said a post on the page.
Authorities in the Bahamas are working to determine what caused the fire minutes into a day trip around the small islands near Great Exuma.
The U.S. Coast Guard airlifted four Americans to Florida for treatment while six people were treated in Nassau.
