An 18-year-old woman was killed during a grisly accident on the Jersey shore, after she was struck by the propeller of a boat she’d been trying to board, police said.

New Jersey state police identified the victim on Monday as Zeina Mahafzah, of Wayne. She was rafting in the waters off Sunset Park — on the bay side of Harvey Cedars, along the northern section of Long Beach Island — just before she died on Sunday, New Jersey State Police Sgt. Jeffrey Lebron told NJ.com.

Mahafzah, a recent graduate of Wayne Hills High School, was due to begin college at Rutgers University next week.

Around 4:30 p.m., 18-year-old Mahafzah attempted to climb from the raft onto the boat that had been pulling it through the waters. Instead, she was hit by the vessel’s propeller and suffered “fatal injuries,” police said in a statement.

Harvey Cedars police described it as a “tragic boating accident,” which remains under investigation.

“As the investigation is in its preliminary stages, we ask that you keep the family and community in your thoughts and prayers,” police said.

No further details were provided.

Originally Published: August 27, 2024 at 8:58 a.m.