As a DM I was helping an instructor with a group of five divers on a night dive at Utila Honduras, 2-22-03, about 7:45 PM. The dive had been uneventful, routine night dive. We had been to about 60' following sand contour where it meets the reef and looking at all the creatures, etc. We worked our way along the sand to shallow water about 20' deep. We had come about 5' off the bottom and were beginning our safety stop. Boom!!!! I thought I had been hit by a boat that I did not hear coming. I was bordering on unconciousness and mentally talking to my self to remain concious. I sank to the sand where I recovered my regulator and purged. My mask remined on my face but was flooded and would only clear to the bridge of my nose. Full of blood and salt water. I could see, was concious and remained cool. Within seconds the instructor was in front of me and signaled if I was OK. Obviously I signaled something was wrong but I was OK. What a great guy. He did everything we have both been trained to do by the book. He was not sure of my condition or how long I could remain concious so he immediately got behind me and did an unconcious diver surface. Pretty cool, Huh? Upon surfacing, I asked him what had hit me. He said I had been attacked by a barracuda. (He had seen the attack) We had about 50 meters to swim to the boat. With BCD inflated I was able to make it to the boat. Got to the boat, got in, signaled all the other divers up and away we went to the first aid station at the hyperbaric chamber on Utila. What happened: For over 40 years of diving, some commercial, I have always worn dark equipment. Within the three months preceding the attack, my wife and I had bought totally clear silicon masks. Great masks. Jeff, the instructor, had the fish in his light and the barracuda was posturing and acting very agressively. As Jeff moved his light off the fish, the animal exploded into my face and mask. The lower jaw struck my regulator, knocking it from my mouth. The upper jaw struck my mask in the area of the corner of my right eye. Teeth from the upper jaw tore thru the mask and through my nose, cutting two small arteries. (I lost a ton of blood) The personnel at the first aid station were not able to stop the bleeding. They finally sent for Jose Guerra, a Cuban Doctor woking in the public health clinic to help. He immediatly learned I speak Spanish and twenty minutes later he had most of the arterial bleeding stopped and had sewed me up. It took me two more days to get back to Houston. Thanks also go out to my wife, Ann an EFR trained AOW diver. The rest of this adventure is also somewhat interesting. I sure do appreciate the interest from all of you. I'll finish the saga in other updates. I have seen thousands of barracuda. Have speared and eaten my fair share. The largest I have ever seen was a little over seven feet and probably went 110 or 115 lbs. This was off the north coast of Venezuela. a ten or twelve foot barracuda would be a spectacular sight!!! Steroids, anyone?? Again, I appreciate all the interest, I'll finish the strory and try to answer any questions. As a newby to this board, it appears to me that is what it is about. Besafe, ya'll.
