What Happened to Hannah Smith?

On May 12, 2025, Hannah Smith, a recent summa cum laude graduate of Miles College, embarked on a Carnival Celebration cruise to the Bahamas to celebrate her graduation. While in Nassau, she booked the "Pearl Island Beach Escape with Lunch" excursion through Carnival's onboard platform.

The lawsuit alleges that during the excursion, staff at Pearl Island provided Smith and her friend, Brooklyn Pitre, with excessive amounts of complimentary high-proof alcohol, including "liter pours" directly into their mouths, and encouraged marijuana use. It is also claimed that Smith's drinks may have been spiked with a drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) substance, leading to a blood alcohol content allegedly ranging from 0.359 to 0.447, more than four times the legal limit.

Towards the end of the excursion, on the return catamaran ferry to Nassau, Smith needed to use the restroom. She claims crew members repeatedly told her to "use the water" or "the ocean is your toilet" and directed her to enter the water near the vessel's dive platform. While Smith was in the water, allegedly holding onto a railing, the boat's captain engaged an idling engine, causing the propeller to spin in reverse and pull her underneath the vessel.

The incident resulted in catastrophic injuries, with the propeller nearly severing her left leg and causing severe wounds to both legs and her pelvic area. Smith's friend, Brooklyn Pitre, pulled her to safety. Smith underwent multiple emergency surgeries in Nassau before being airlifted to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital in Miami. Despite extensive medical intervention, including over 25 surgeries, doctors were unable to save her legs. She ultimately underwent a below-the-knee amputation of her left leg and a full hip disarticulation of her right leg.

In December 2025, Smith filed a maritime personal injury lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida against Carnival Corporation, Pearl Investment Management Group, and Sun Cay Ltd., alleging negligence. The lawsuit was amended in March 2026. Smith's legal team argues that Carnival breached its duty of reasonable care by failing to properly vet and monitor its "hand-selected" local providers, and that the excursion operators engaged in unsafe practices. Carnival has sought to deny liability, arguing that the excursion was operated by independent Bahamian companies and that it lacked operational control. However, Carnival's request to dismiss the lawsuit, as well as Pearl Investment Management Group's motion to dismiss based on jurisdiction, were both denied by the court in May 2026. Hannah Smith's friend, Brooklyn Pitre, also filed a separate but related lawsuit in May 2026, alleging emotional and psychological trauma, and claiming she was sexually assaulted by excursion employees.

As of June 6, 2026, the lawsuit is ongoing, with Smith seeking damages for permanent disability, disfigurement, chronic pain, the need for prosthetics, and extensive past and future medical and psychological treatment. Her story has garnered significant media attention, and a GoFundMe page has been set up to assist with her recovery. The "Sun Cay Beach Club with Lunch" excursion remains available for booking through Carnival's website, reportedly with a low guest rating.