The woman remained hospitalized in stable condition after losing both legs when she was struck by a boat propeller.
BEAR LAKE, ID — Bystanders used tourniquets and a strap to control severe bleeding after a woman lost both legs in a boating accident, actions that the Bear Lake County Sheriff’s Office said saved her life.
The woman, who authorities described only as being in her mid-30s, was riding an inflatable tube pulled by a boat Saturday when she was struck by the boat’s propeller. She was flown from the Idaho side of Bear Lake to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Family members later told deputies that she was in stable condition. Officials have not released her name or explained how the boat came into contact with her.
Dan Taylor said he and his family were preparing to enter the water about 4 miles north of the Utah-Idaho border when they saw a boat approaching the shore. People aboard were calling for help, he told KSL. Taylor’s wife, who was farther out in the water, directed him to bring a paddleboard alongside the boat so it could help support the injured woman.
Taylor said his wife then told him to retrieve a tourniquet from their van. When he returned, the extent of the woman’s injuries became clear. Taylor and relatives placed the tourniquet on one wound and used a strap on the other to slow the bleeding while they waited for emergency crews.
“The victim was so courageous, and she was conscious through the whole thing,” Taylor told KSL. He said the woman remained calm as the group worked to help her. Medics arrived about 10 to 15 minutes later, he said, followed by an ambulance and a medical helicopter.
Taylor had stored the tourniquet in his vehicle because he wanted to be prepared for emergencies. He said he had also practiced applying one during a first-aid class about three weeks before the accident. The recent training left the procedure fresh in his mind when the emergency unfolded.
The Sheriff’s Office credited the people on the beach for responding immediately instead of waiting for professional rescuers. “These actions ultimately saved her life,” the agency said in a public statement. Authorities did not identify the other people who helped or release further details about the emergency response.
The accident happened during a demanding period for deputies and other emergency workers around the lake. Within minutes, authorities also received reports of a separate boat sinking with passengers aboard and a child locked inside a vehicle in temperatures near 90 degrees. The boat passengers were removed safely from the water, and the child was freed from the vehicle, the Sheriff’s Office said.
A fundraising campaign created after the accident described the injured woman as a wife and mother of three. Its organizers asked that her identity remain private as she begins treatment and recovery. Authorities have honored that request and have not released additional information about her medical care.
The cause of the boating accident remains unclear, and officials have not announced whether citations or charges are being considered. The Sheriff’s Office has released no additional investigative findings. The woman remained in stable condition as of the agency’s latest public update.
Author note: Last updated July 15, 2026.