‘They basically saved my life’: Woman hurt in Caballo Lake boat accident thankful to be alive

July Fourth celebrations turned into a nightmare for one La Mesa woman and her family.

Bernice Maldonado and her family were doing what they love, boating at Caballo Lake to celebrate the nation’s birthday. However, all that changed when she was dragged under their boat, tossed around by the propeller.

“I put my hand up to cover my face, so when it hit my hand, the motor flipped me and took my legs, cut up my legs,” Maldonado said Thursday.

She told ABC-7 she jumped off her boat just as she had done many times before, but this time, she got dragged under the boat and cut up by the propeller. It cut her elbow, severing the nerves in her left hand. It also cut both her legs, leaving her bone exposed on her left shin and a still open wound on her right thigh.

“My husband and my daughter, got me out of the shore, onto the rocks and they basically saved my life,” Maldonado said. “And they tourniqueted my legs.”

Maldonado was taken to the hospital, her family with her the whole time.

“My husband never left my side,” she said. “I was in the hospital from the fourth to the nineteenth and he slept on the floor.”

But her real hero that days was her 12-year-old grandson Xavier.

“My grandson, he’s amazing,” Maldonado said. “He kept us cool the whole time. He’s the one that told them to take me out of the water, to tie a tourniquet, to put pressure. My grandson Xavier was amazing.”

Maldonado also told ABC-7 she is still in a lot of pain, but is thankful to be alive. Meanwhile, she is also facing another challenge: the loss of her job. Her family has set up a ‘go fund me’ page to help with her costs, especially with the loss of her jobs. If you are interested in helping, click here.