CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Marine who served two tours of duty in Iraq said a trip to visit family in the Charlotte area turned into a life-changing nightmare full of pain, surgeries and major delays with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Channel 9 anchor Allison Latos received a tip about Marine Caleb Murry’s struggle and spent the past five days tracking down information to try to help him.
Murry was out on Mountain Island Lake last July, but his fishing trip ended with him in the hospital after he said a boater collided with him.
The Marine told Channel 9 he can't get the surgeries he needs to heal, and he blames the broken Veterans Affairs system.
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Murry spent four years fighting for America in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Four months ago, he came to Charlotte to visit family, but his fishing trip on the lake ended in a life-changing emergency.
(Marine Caleb Murry)
“It (the boat) was coming at me like that, and I flipped under,” he said.
Murry told Channel 9 he was in a kayak when the boat, operated by Kevin Gray, ran over him.
“I felt my arm going like this (spinning) and I was like, ‘Oh, we're toast,’” Murry said. “So, I threw my body into the propeller and that's what stopped it. I thought I was dead.”
Statement from Gray's attorney, Robert J. Decurtis: "Regarding my client, Kevin Gray, he is an experienced boater who was out with his family on their pontoon boat the night of the accident. Mr. Gray struck Mr. Murray's kayak out in a main channel in darkness where Mr. Murray said he had been fishing. Mr. Gray and his wife rendered immediate assistance to Mr. Murray, pulling him on board, and assisted Rescue and Police at their dock minutes later. Although, Mr. Gray is adamant about his innocence in this case, he remains extremely concerned about Mr. Murray and the severity of his injuries.
Murry spent four days in the hospital. His left arm now has nerve damage and both of his legs are scarred.
But the Marine needs more surgeries.