Crime & Safety

South Jersey Woman Severely Hurt in Maryland Boating Accident

Natalya Potsurko fell off the boat and was then struck in the face with a propeller.

A 26-year-old woman from South Jersey was badly injured when she fell off a boat and was hit in the face with a propeller while in Ocean City, Maryland, over the weekend.

Natalya Potsurko, of Pennsauken, fell off the bow of a rental pontoon after it hit a wake on Saturday night, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police.

She was then hit by the propeller and suffered severe injuries to her face and legs before being rescued by another person who was on the boat, police said.

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She was not wearing a life jacket and could not swim.

She was first taken to a local hospital in Maryland before she was transferred to Penn Hospital in Philadelphia to receive specialized treatment. It was unknown what condition she was in.

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Nicholas James Gilbert, 25, of Philadelphia, was charged with negligent operation of a vessel. The crime carries a minimum of a $320 fine.

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