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Diver Loses Legs In Diving Accident

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Jan 10, 2009 8:01 pm US/Eastern

Diver Loses Legs In Diving Accident

PORT ST. LUCIE (CBS4) ― A tragic accident in the St. Lucie River has left a diver without legs and investigators with questions about exactly what happened.

State officials say a Palm Beach County man's legs had to be amputated after being run over by a boat while diving near a popular Martin County park.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman Gabriella Ferraro said 26-year-old Robert Murphy was among the divers who were spear-fishing Friday afternoon in the St. Lucie River near Sandsprit Park.

It was not clear if Murphy was hit by the boat's propeller or by the body of the boat. Investigators have not determined the cause of the accident, but were interviewing witnesses and the boat's occupants.

The area where the divers were swimming is near the "Crossroads," a high-traffic waterway at the St. Lucie Inlet where the St. Lucie and Indian rivers meet the Atlantic Ocean.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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