Brent Slough, a 42-year-old father from Texas and former Army Ranger, is recovering in a hospital following a harrowing incident during his family vacation in the Bahamas. While snorkeling with his wife and two young children, Slough was hit by a speeding boat. No one could’ve predicted that such a tragic accident would leave his family with serious injuries and shock.
This deadly encounter happened while Slough and his family were on a 10-day vacation, oblivious to the fact that this speeding vessel was headed directly toward them. As he recounted from his hospital bed, “I’m about 20 feet from the shore, and suddenly, I feel something hit me, and it’s like, I feel a thump, thump.” His bottom half was nearly cut in half from the speedboat’s propeller, causing deep lacerations that doctors say may get infected.
As of this writing, Slough’s situation is still critical as doctors are watching him for signs of complications. Even if his injuries are no longer life-threatening, he continues to face life-threatening risks that keep his family in limbo. His wife, Whitney Slough, noted that while she knows support for Brent’s AVI amendment is appreciated, recovery comes first. Brent’s healing and getting out of [the intensive care unit] is our No. 1 priority. Then, I would say, is really for justice to be served for the people who did this,” she said.
As Brent’s healing process continues, he said he was just thankful to be alive after going through such a horrible experience. “I’m only grateful to be alive,” he said. The family’s attention is currently on helping Brent overcome the hurdles of his recovery. This is part of a series of people, like them, demanding accountability for the unsafe circumstance that made their vacation a nightmare.
As the Slough family’s tragic story reminds us, hazards may be hidden no matter how safe an environment seems to be. Brent Slough noted the unexpected nature of the accident, saying, “You wouldn’t expect a boat to be that close to shore either, you know, so I was completely caught off guard.”
As they confront this difficult chapter in their lives, the Slough family remains hopeful for Brent’s recovery and calls for greater awareness of boating safety to prevent similar incidents in the future.
