In February 2009, Pistorius suffered serious head injuries in a boating accident that slowed down his track progress.

CNN: Oscar Pistorius: The bullet in the chamber

Pistorius' career on the track suffered a setback in 2009 when he suffered serious head injuries in a boating accident.

CNN: February 14, 2013 -- Updated 1700 GMT (0100 HKT)

"We are investigating the possibility that the consumption of alcohol had played a role in the boating accident, " said police spokeswoman Maria Mazibuko.

CNN: Not everyone surprised at Oscar Pistorius' fall from grace

He seems distracted, though, and no wonder, for his wife, recently injured in a boating accident, lies in a hospital, sunk in a coma from which, he is told, she will never wake.

NEWYORKER: Better Times

The Presbyterian mystic fell in love with the island, built an enormous church to seat three times the then island population of 100 and started working Sanibel into his sermons wherever he went, convinced that God had arranged his boating accident.

BBC: Florida��s stunning island sanctuary

Before going out on the water, boaters can minimize the risk of accident or injury by taking a boating safety course, performing a vessel safety check, filing a float plan with a friend or family member prior to departure, and carefully assessing weather conditions.

WHITEHOUSE: The White House