Army Ranger in critical condition after being struck by boat hit-and-run in Bahamas
Brent Slough, 42, was nearly sliced in half in a boat hit-and-run incident on the first day of a trip he was on with his wife, Whitney, and two daughters, Layla and Emma.
The Texas father was snorkeling just 20 feet from the shore when a boat driver struck him.
'I felt like a thump thump, and I was like, "did I just get hit by a boat?"' Brent recalled the June 30 nightmare to CBS News.
'My left leg wasn't functioning, and I felt like something was wrong with my lower body.'
Still in shock from the traumatic events, Brent said he turned around and saw two men speeding away on a boat.
One of them allegedly looked back at the severely harmed veteran, but they did not stop despite hearing his blood-curdling screams.
Brent's family witnessed the life-threatening ordeal from the beach, with his teenage daughter, Layla, having to rush into the sea and drag him to safety on a float.
Whitney described his gut-wrenching condition, saying his 'bottom was almost completely detached from his legs.'
He sustained multiple leg and pelvis fractures and a deep gash that was at high-risk of infection.
First responders were called to the gory scene, and Brent spent the rest of the day battling for his life at two different Bahamas hospitals before being airlifted to a Miami ICU.
'The doctor told me, "please get to a hospital in Miami, you need to get to the US for something this traumatic,"' Brent told CBS News.
Leaving their daughters in the Bahamas, Brent and Whitney traveled to Florida to ensure he received sufficient care - an expense they had to pay out of pocket.
He underwent a four hour surgery, but Whitney said doctors were not able to stitch some of his wounds because they were too deep, so they have been packing them instead, WFAA reported.
While Brent remains in the hospital, Whitney went back to the Bahamas to get her daughters and make sure the culprit - who is still at large - is held responsible.
'It's against the law to be within 200 feet of the shore,' Whitney explained to the outlet.
'Brent was about 20 feet out ... I just wish they would turn themselves in, but if they don't turn themselves in, then we have to find them.'
Despite the heartbreak the Slough family has been experiencing, Whitney said she is abundantly grateful her husband is still alive.
A GoFundMe, which has already raised more than $71,000, has been created on the Sloughs' behalf to cover Brent's mounting medical costs.
'His upcoming medical needs are great - but we know God will move to make this happen for the Slough family,' the page reads.
Brent graduated from West Point and served six years in the military, including a tour in Iraq, according to WFAA.
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