Rund Abdelfatah
A 12 YEAR-OLD boy is fighting for his life after being seriously injured in a horrific boat accident.
The holidaymaker is on a life support machine after he received deep wounds from the propeller of a boat he had been riding on.
The youngster received injuries to his abdomen, arm and both legs, when he fell off the RIB inflatable speedboat on Maro beach, near Nerja.
Paramedics were able to stabilise his condition on the beach and the boy was then rushed by helicopter to Malaga.
He is now in intensive care unit at Malaga children’s hospital.
In July a 14-year-old British boy suffered life-threating injuries after falling off a RIB in the UK.
RIBs do not come fitted with propeller guards, which would have prevented the injuries.
Such guards are unpopular with some boat owners because they slow the boat down and increase fuel consumption.
Calls have however been made to make them compulsory due to the risk of accidents and the fact they damage marine life.
“Propeller guards are essential,” said one boat owner. “It doesn’t take much wind or the tiniest ripple to turn a RIB over and they become lethal.”
The biggest safety hazard is allowing youngsters to ride ontop the bow of the boat, often dangling their legs off as the boat speeds ahead. Seems like fun, but one bad wave, or loss of balance causes the youngster to fall in front of the speeding boat and get ripped up by the prop before the person driving can do ANYTHING about that. Parents beware.