Las Vegas teacher loses leg in tragic boating accident

A Las Vegas teacher lost her leg in a boating accident on Lake Mead when a wave threw her into the water.

Leslie Burns, an English teacher at Foothill High School in Henderson, was reportedly boating with friends on Tuesday when she was overcome by the wave and sucked under it, getting her leg caught in the propeller.

“She suffered a lot of injuries and significant damage,” Burns’ friend Helen Cha told television station KTNV. “I just try to be there for her, support her and help her in any way I can.”

A GoFundMe page created by Cha detailed the accident, which was responded to by an off-duty nurse and a fire paramedic who were also boating in the area. They quickly applied a tourniquet to Burns’ right leg and stayed with her until she was flown to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada. Due to the severity of the injuries, doctors were forced to amputate her right lower leg.

On GoFundMe, Cha wrote that Burns was in the hospital but in “good spirits.” However, recovery will take time.

“As it stands, Leslie has a daunting road ahead that involves further surgery, an arduous recovery and rehabilitation process, extended absence from work and permanent life changes, including costly prosthetics and eventually learning to walk Cha wrote.

“… Anyone who knows Leslie personally knows how wonderful and loving she is. If you can help us rally behind this wonderful, sarcastic and loving person, please do….”

On Friday, Cha took to Facebook to provide an update about Burns, who did “great” during her amputation surgery. Along with a picture of Burns giving a thumbs up to the camera, Cha shared that she was moved from the intensive care unit to a private room. Burns will undergo further surgery on Saturday.

“If everything looks okay, the trauma team will clean and close her wounds,” Cha wrote. “She wants me to thank everyone for their calls, texts, love and prayers. I will keep everyone updated on their status and hospital bills.”

The GoFundMe, which had 336 donors in just one day, has raised more than $28,000 of its $35,000 goal.

A Lake Mead National Recreation Area official says similar accidents happen “a few times a year.”

“We really want to make sure we don’t lose anyone here at the lake,” Chelsea Kennedy, public affairs specialist at the lake, told KTNV. “There are a lot of things that can go wrong.” You can get hit by a propeller or you can go underwater and end up in the water over your head and drown. The most important thing in this situation is not to be in the water with the engine running.”

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