BIG HICKORY PASS, Fla. — A 20-year-old man is recovering in Fort Myers at Lee Health Gulf Coast Medical Center after his mother says a boat propeller injured him during a water rescue at Big Hickory Pass. Still, his family says he's grateful to be alive thanks to a good samaritan boater who stopped to help.
Victor Lopez was fishing with friends when he dropped his cast net in the water and jumped in to retrieve it. His friend followed to help, (FWC) says a current swept away both.
Watch Fort Myers Community Correspondent Miyoshi Price's report from the tournament:
"His cast net that fell in was about 10 feet into the water, so he decided to try and go retrieve it," said Ashley Lopez, Victor's mother.
Lopez says she believes that with few people on the beach, no one really could see them, but luckily, a nearby boater stopped to help rescue them from the choppy water.
"And as they were swimming up to the boat, one of his friends that was with him actually got onto the boat, and my son was getting closer to the boat, and I guess the propellers had accidentally got him in his thigh area," Lopez said.
She describe the damage on Victor's left leg on both the outer and inner parts of his thigh.
"The propeller of the boat that was helping him landed somewhere on the outer part of his thigh and the inner part of the thigh," Lopez said.
Someone on the boat quickly applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding before taking Victor close to shore where an ambulance was waiting at the Big Hickory Pass. He was rushed to Lee Health Gulf Coast Medical Center.
Victor has undergone two surgeries and will be monitored by doctors for several more days. Despite the severity of his injuries, his mother says he's fortunate.
"He's lucky. It wasn't as worse off, worse than what it was," Lopez said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed the incident in a statement:
"On September 07, 2025, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) responded to the scene of a single vessel incident near Big Hickory Pass in Lee County. Preliminary information indicates that two individuals were fishing from shore when one entered the water to retrieve something. Shortly after the other individual entered the water to assist them and they both were swept out by the current. A Good Samaritan on a nearby vessel stopped to help. While getting onto the vessel one of the individuals sustained a cut to their leg and were transported to a nearby hospital to be treated."
Victor, an avid fisherman, was conscious throughout the ordeal and spoke with his mother after his first surgery. She says he was trying to expalin how tired he was from struggling to stay afloat in the choppy water while trying to wave down the rescue boat.
The family has not spoken with the boater who rescued Victor, but Lopez has a message for them.
"Thank you for saving him," she said.
Lopez hopes the incident serves as a warning to other fishermen about the importance of fishing with others.
"Hopefully people can just be more careful when they're out fishing, and I would always go with a partner or a friend, just to make sure you're not out there by yourself." Lopez said.
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