Woman Dies After Being Thrown from a Boat and Getting ‘Caught’ in the Propeller

A woman in Alaska has died after being caught in a boat propeller.

Alaska State Troopers said they “were notified of a fatal boating incident near Napakiak,” a small village in the western part of the state, at 2:10 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 17, according to a press release from the Alaska Department of Public Safety (ADPS).

The victim was identified as Adrianna Tinker, 33, from nearby Kasigluk.

The ADPS said that “a preliminary investigation determined that an adult male was operating a boat in the Napakiak Slough around 9:45 p.m.” on Tuesday, Sept. 16, when the boat’s motor “struck something underwater.”

Both the boat driver and Tinker were thrown from the boat, and Tinker “became caught in the boat’s propeller.”

Tinker was taken to a nearby medical clinic for treatment but did not survive her injuries. Her family has been notified, according to the release.

The boat’s operator was unharmed.

Tinker’s body has been sent to the state medical examiner’s office for an autopsy, according to the release.