Carrabelle man severely injured in boating accident

A Carrabelle man was severely injured Saturday after hitting a dock while pulling a kneeboarder on the Carrabelle River. 18-year-old David Brian Keith Jr. struck his head on a dock just before 8 o’clock Saturday night. He was about a mile and a half west of the Carrabelle Bridge. Mister Keith was pulling a kneeboarder behind his 15 foot boat and was looking back at his friend when he drove beneath a boat lift attached to a dock, and then hit the runner under the dock face first. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the injuries to Mister Keith’s face were severe and he is lucky to be alive. The person on the kneeboard yelled just before the impact, and Mister Keith turned his head just before hitting the dock. Officials believe if he had hit the dock with the back of his head he would not have survived the accident. Neighbors heard the accident and called 911 – local paramedics were able to stabilize him before he was life flighted to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital where he had surgery on Sunday. Fish and Wildlife officers say Mister Keith could be charged in the accident. They found beer cans in the boat and took a blood sample. They are now waiting for the results of a blood alcohol test. It is also illegal to pull someone behind your boat without an observer or a rear view mirror. That however is punishable by a small fine.