Family members have identified a Tennessee woman celebrating her anniversary as the victim in the fatal boat explosion in the Bahamas. The boat was full of tourists, including Maleka Jackson and her husband Tyrane Jackson, when it burst into flames off the island of Exuma on Saturday.
Maleka Jackson was celebrating her 15th wedding anniversary when she was killed in the explosion. Her husband Tyrane Jackson, who suffered burns, was among the four Americans transported by the U.S. Coast Guard to a Florida hospital.
Malvin Grimes, Maleka's father, described her as a loving mother of one and a "shooting star" in an interview with CBS News. "She had a life that kind of stayed straight on course and it was a life that brought a lot of joy and a lot of support and love into the lives of others," Grimes said.
Fellow passenger Stefanie Schaffer, 22, lost both of her legs, while Jackson's husband suffered serious injuries to his legs, The New York Daily News reported. Schaffer, a former dancer, was traveling with her mother, step-father and sister when the incident occurred.
Survivors told ABC News that the boat exploded just minutes into the trip. Passenger John Inman said Schaffer was sitting closest to the blast site. Inman said the water was shallow enough to stand in and help the injured.
"We used plywood and some 2-by-6s basically as gurneys to get the passengers to shore," Inman told ABC News. Once on shore, Schaffer and her mother were rushed to a hospital.
A GoFundMe for medical and travel expenses for Shaffer and her family said the 22-year-old underwent a double amputation below the knees and remains in critical condition. Schaffer's uncle, Mike Schaffer, told CBS News that she was placed in a medically induced coma.
Her mother, Stacey Bender, broke several bones, including at least two broken ribs, and suffered internal injuries, CBS reported. Schaffer's sister, Brooke, and step-father, Paul Bender, suffered bruises and cuts.
According to the GoFundMe, which has raised more than $100,000 in one day, the family has been transported to Florida. Schaffer will need spinal surgery for an L1 lumbar disk fracture, her family said.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation. Authorities said that a total of nine people were injured during the blast.
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