A safety capsule saved the life of a racing boat driver after he lost control during a drag boat race Saturday evening at the Great Miami River Days festival.

Roger Austin, president of the Kentucky Drag Boat Association, said Monday that he spoke with the wife of Jeff Miller, who was injured about 7:30 p.m. in the crash and is recovering from a broken leg and a concussion at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton.

“She said he’s in a lot of pain and had the compounded fracture on his leg operated on,” Austin said.

He said Miller, a resident of Russellville, Ky., “was very experienced and has been drag racing boats for 15 to 20 years.”

“The only thing that saved him was his safety capsule and equipment,” Austin said. “We had a new rule this year requiring the updating of the safety capsule latches.”

He said the group has only had three serious accidents in the past 30 years.

Miller misjudged the buoys at the finish line,“steered out of control and went right of a buoy when he thought the buoy should have been to his left and drove into the bank,” said Jerry Lanich, the racing boat event organizer for River Days.

Miller was traveling north on the river at about 175 mph and hit the east side of the riverbank, according to Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Shaw. The safety capsule in the cockpit was separated from the rest of the boat Shaw said.

The capsule rolled about 300 feet before landing just off the riverbank, Shaw said. The driver’s safety gear, which is similar to what a NASCAR driver wears, along with the safety capsule is designed to protect the driver. The safety capsule also provides about five minutes of oxygen if it goes underwater.

Deputy Fire Chief Curt New, who was overseeing the event’s fireworks show, saw what was happening and radioed Engine and Medic 22 from Hamilton Fire Headquarters to assist the rescue crew and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.

“Our guys extricated the guy from the cockpit and transported him to Butler County Regional Airport,” Shaw said.

“For our part, we’re used to pulling cars, trucks and motorcycles out of the river,” Shaw said. “This was pretty miraculous to me. All of the safety capsule equipment really saved his life.”