Saucier man suffers severe injuries from boat propeller in jet ski accident
Bailee Peeples, 20, of Saucier, was severely injured in a boating accident in Ocean Springs around 10:30 p.m. Friday that left him in critical condition.
While traveling on a jet ski from Deer Island to the Mary Walker Marina in Gautier, Peeples fell off and was struck bythe propeller of a nearby boat.
Family friend and neighbor James Roberson said he was with the family at Deer Island about 30 minutes before the incident.
According to the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, the jet ski and the boat never made contact.
MDMR officials declined to comment further, citing an ongoing investigation.
According to Roberson, the propeller nearly severed Peeples’ left arm at the elbow, fractured his collarbone and his jaw, and left him with lacerations on his cheek, armpit and forehead. Roberson said first responders took Peeples to USA Health University Hospital in Mobile, where surgeons reattached his left arm and performed four surgeries.
“Pray for us,” Kenneth Peeples said. “We don’t want him to lose his arm. Emotionally, this has been traumatic for him.”
Roberson started a GoFundMe to support the young mechanic and his family in hopes of raising up to $7,500 for potential medical devices, transportation and medical bills.
“It’s going to go toward helping his quality of life so that way he can focus on getting healed,” Roberson said. “Anytime I’ve ever needed help with anything, he’s always been eager to help and anxious to get whatever we needed done. He’s a really kind guy.”
This story was originally published July 10, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
