Horror on submarine where tourist loses a leg and another is seriously injured when the skipper is thrown overboard and an unmanned ship rushes over the group
A tourist lost a leg and another was seriously injured after an unmanned submarine went out of control and repeatedly rushed over a group in the water when the skipper was thrown overboard.
The nightmare unfolded on Easter Sunday in French Polynesia when the ship began circling at high speed after the captain was thrown into the sea by a wave and the emergency braking system failed.
Gianna F., 24, from Switzerland, said she “could hardly believe” she survived after repeatedly diving underwater in a desperate attempt to avoid the propeller as the boat returned to them every few seconds.
But for two others the outcome was devastating.
Her boyfriend Brian Pethke, 24, lost a leg in the chaos, while the diving instructor suffered two open leg fractures when the out-of-control ship tore through the group.
‘I can hardly believe I’m still alive. I had given up on life,” Gianna said.
The group was diving off the island of Rangiroa after encountering a local dive center during its round-the-world trip.
A tourist lost a leg and another was seriously injured after an unmanned submarine went out of control and rushed over a group in the water when the skipper was thrown overboard. In the photo: the boat has gone out of control
In the photo: Footage from below shows the driverless boat spinning wildly on the water’s surface
Brian Pethke, 24, lost a leg in the chaos, while the diving instructor suffered two open leg fractures when the out-of-control ship tore through the group
She said conditions were already rough, with strong currents, but their second dive started off “great” as they saw a tiger shark and dolphins swimming nearby.
After about 45 minutes in the water, the group resurfaced and inflated their life jackets as they waited to be picked up.
Moments later, disaster struck.
A wave hit the boat, throwing the skipper overboard and leaving the ship unmanned as it began turning in tight circles.
“I tried to dive, but the suction of the boat and my life jacket kept pulling me up,” she said. At one point the water around her turned red.
“Brian looked at me in horror and said, ‘I’ve lost my leg!’” Gianna recalled.
As panic set in, Gianna swallowed water and began to lose strength.
“I just thought, that’s it, now you’re dead,” she said.
She was eventually brought to safety by rescuers from another boat who risked their lives approaching the still-turning ship.
Brian has since returned to Berlin and is undergoing further surgery, but said he is determined to recover
However, he is now faced with installation costs as a sports prosthesis alone costs more than €10,000 and his current home is not suitable for wheelchair users.
On board, a group of medics – including a French couple – performed emergency treatment, strapping Brian’s leg before rushing him to a small island hospital.
Gianna said there were no doctors on site when they arrived, and medics were forced to use available supplies to perform a blood transfusion and stabilize him.
Brian has since returned to Berlin and is undergoing further surgery, but said he is determined to recover.
However, he is now faced with installation costs as a sports prosthesis alone costs more than €10,000 and his current home is not suitable for wheelchair users.
Gianna has since launched a fundraising campaign to support him – and to raise awareness of both the beauty and dangers of diving.