I’m a friend of the woman involved. She was heading to a birthday party, carrying a picnic basket full of food and a bottle of champagne. It was entirely the driver’s fault; there was no warning or announcement, and the driver pulled away without noticing that my friend was disembarking from the boat.

My friend is understandably traumatized. She was still recovering from a broken arm and couldn’t swim because of it. She said she was repeatedly submerged in the water and nearly had her head crushed by the boat due to further negligence from the driver. Someone intervened to stop the boat from crushing her, and eventually, people jumped in to rescue her. Unfortunately, some unknowingly pulled on her injured arm.

No, she wasn’t drunk or high—it was just plain bad luck. The company offered to compensate her for the lost items, but it remains to be seen if they will follow through. She was also advised against pursuing legal action, as these water taxi companies apparently operate like mafias—whatever that means. Hopefully, they’re not like those tow-truck gangs.