Ob/gyn Dr. Monty Heinen, injured in a jet ski accident in the Bahamas, is expected to return to Eunice today aboard a chartered flight.

Heinen was at Paradise Island, Nassau, the Bahamas attending the Miss TEEN USA 2011 pageant in which his daughter Elizabeth, Miss Teen Louisiana USA, was one of the contestants.

According to his wife Tiffani the accident Saturday, the day of the pageant, was a freak incident in which the two of them collided with each other while driving separate jet skis.

Heinen was doubling with one his daughters, Anna Claire, while Tiffani doubled with daughter Victoria.

Tiffani said, “Anna Claire was beginning to slip off and actually did and Monty was trying to grab her and at the same time took a sharp turn toward us, hitting us, I think he saved her life. If she would have been hit, if she had not fallen off, I am not sure what would have happened.”

Heinen, who complained of being unable to breathe after being taken to the beach, was taken to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with four broken ribs and a punctured lung.

His wife said, “The doctors had to insert a chest tube to enable him to breathe. They took the chest tubes out Monday, and he is breathing fine on his own.”

Heinen was flown on a small chartered plane from the Bahamas to Fort Lauderdale. His father Dr. Brian is with him, and plans are to leave today from Ft. Lauderdale for home.

Tiffani said, “He expects a full recovery, probably in a few weeks he will be feeling well. He is moving around, just feeling a lot of pain.”

In the meantime, Dr. Donald Barnes will be covering for Heinen, seeing patients at his Eunice office.

Miss Teen Texas USA won the pageant.