Former ballet dancer has legs amputated after boat explosion
Authorities in Bahamas still haven’t determined cause of blast on boat
RUTLAND, VT.— A woman who used to be an avid ballet dancer had her lower legs amputated after being injured in a deadly Bahamas tour boat explosion.
Stephanie Schaffer, 22, 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 fractured her lower right leg, shattered her left ankle, broke her wrist and had broken ribs.
Relatives and friends were trying to help the family through an online fundraising campaign that had raised $105,000 (U.S.) 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.
Video footage taken from a nearby boat of tourists depicts a bloody scene of panic: screams for help and doctors, swells of fire and fumes rising into blue skies.
“This is a sad day for Exuma and a sad day for our American friends,” Bahamas MP Chester Cooper posted on Facebook, according to CNN. “We are saddened and our hearts are hurting, but we will get through this together.”