Maritime attorney: Charges likely after man's leg amputated in boat accident

No one has been charged in a St. Augustine boating accident that caused a man to lose his lower leg on Saturday night.

Logan Farquhar was fishing with two friends and his fiancée when their boat was hit by a larger boat under the Vilano Bridge.

Farquhar pushed his girlfriend aside to safety, and a boat propeller cut off his lower leg.

Billie Inman spoke with Action News Jax after the accident. She said she was sleeping on the boat and woke up to the sound of the bigger boat coming at them from behind.

“The whole boat was up on top of our boat,” she said.

Farquhar’s mom tells me he’s still in lot of pain but is doing better.

She said the family wants answers.

Witnesses say the ski boat driver provided help to the victims and then left the scene. He was later questioned by investigators with Florida Fish and Wildlife.

"There's a lot of evidence to be collected before they charge somebody," said Maritime Attorney Rod Sullivan.
The FWC has seized both boats, something Sullivan said is key.

“If you leave the scene of an accident when you are able to render assistance, that’s a felony,” Sullivan said. “That means potentially five years in jail and $5,000 fine.”

He said putting a tourniquet on Farquhar’s leg was only a temporary solution.

“So if their departure prevented the guy from getting to the hospital more quickly that would be a violation of the statute,” Sullivan said.

FWC said the investigation could take up to 60 days.

Sullivan said if it turns into a criminal case, it’s likely to be handled by state court, which will have more severe penalties.

Cox Media Group