LSU coach loses lower leg after tow rope severs limb in jet-ski accident

Katie Guillory, a strength and conditioning coach and gymnastics trainer at Louisiana State University, lost the lower half of her left leg after a tow rope wrapped around and severed her limb during a jet-ski accident on a Fourth of July weekend, she told ABC affiliate KATC3.

Guillory said a large wave struck her jet ski and the tow rope — a line commonly used to drag other watercraft or assist in recoveries — somehow wrapped around her leg. She recounted feeling dazed, seeing a "sea of red" in the water and realizing "half of my leg is gone, and hanging by the rope that's intermingled." Emergency personnel rushed her to a Baton Rouge hospital where medics performed an emergency amputation of the lower half of her left leg.

Tow ropes are generally designed to absorb sudden jerks and to be elastic enough to reduce the risk of entanglement, but Guillory said something went wrong in her case. She described the moment as instantaneous and said she initially thought a life jacket strap might be the cause, then realized she could not step back up on the jet ski.

Guillory, a former softball player who trains collegiate athletes, said coming to terms with the injury has been among the hardest experiences of her life. "It was hard. It was hard to swallow," she told KATC3, adding that losing her athletic identity forced her to reassess priorities. Her mother told the station that Guillory has shown "remarkable strength and resilience," and that despite the mental, physical and emotional challenges, those attributes are visible to others.

In updates on social media, Guillory has chronicled her recovery, marking the 10-week milestone since becoming an amputee and sharing progress with a prosthetic leg. She wrote in one post, "How blessed am I?!? God is good! Another year older and this time, a foot shorter," and has thanked what she described as an "army" of supporters including friends, family and physical therapists. Guillory said she has been enjoying weightlifting with her prosthetic and described the experience as "awesome."

LSU's public directory continued to list Guillory as a gymnastics coach following the accident, and school materials indicate she has remained involved with students while undergoing recovery. In a social media post earlier in August, Guillory wrote that the weeks after surgery had felt like a "rollercoaster of adapting and overcoming," and that pain and struggle had been met with support, grace and help.

Emergency amputations after traumatic limb injuries are performed when medical teams determine that saving part of a limb is not possible or would endanger the patient's life. Guillory's account described significant blood loss at the scene and the immediacy of the decision to amputate at the hospital.

Guillory has thanked those who have aided her recovery and noted the role of physical therapy and prosthetic care in regaining function. She continues to post updates on social platforms about rehabilitation milestones and the ways she is adapting to coaching and athletic training roles while recovering from the injury.

Authorities and safety experts advise caution when operating personal watercraft and using tow lines; the specifics of Guillory's accident and any subsequent investigations have not been disclosed publicly beyond her personal account to KATC3. Guillory's family, colleagues and students have publicly expressed support as she navigates recovery and returns to her work with LSU athletes.