Canadian struck by barracuda in Jamaica

[ibj40]

Anyone interested in turning this thread back to the original issue of barracuda attacking divers? We're talking about them trying to eat us, versus us getting sick eating them. And who cares if they pass gas, is that before or after they bite me?

 

[chillyinCanada]

Just a note on the comment about DCS at that depth...

A lot of divers are really confused about that. I think we go overboard in instruction on that topic, making them much more afraid than they should be. DCS is a pretty rare occurrence in recreational diving. On the other hand, embolisms are I believe the leading cause of death (next to cardiac events) in diving, and we spend a relatively small percentage of instructional time on that.

My reading of the original article, left me believing it was just another "dive uneducated" reporter. That in reality, the concern HAD been embolism and not DCS.

 

[Hank49]

Anyone interested in turning this thread back to the original issue of barracuda attacking divers? We're talking about them trying to eat us, versus us getting sick eating them. And who cares if they pass gas, is that before or after they bite me?

Well yes, they have been known to attack divers. They're almost at the top of the food chain. I've seen them bug out in a hot second when a good sized shark shows up.
They have razor teeth and can slice you open and yes, if they hit an artery, you could die.
They've bitten when it seem like mistaken identity in murky water, or hit a flashy object like a watch or other jewelry and come charging in when they sense a stresed fish and are looking for an easy meal. Similar to shark behavior.

But it seems that when they're relaxed and fart, they not in attack mode. In both cases both were just floating midwater in a calm state. So if you see one farting, no worries. (at least this is what known, although limited data seems to indicate)

 

[Wingy]

To be honest I dont think id give much thought to DCS if a bara had given me a big enough bite, a young girl almost lost her hand in Moorea a couple of years ago and ive met quite a few fishermen who are missing fingers......Id rather take my chances of getting bent than bleeding to death at a safety stop. That is awesomely cool that they fart. Still think they need eyebrows and they might get more friends if we could gauge their mood.

 

[boulderjohn]

My reading of the original article, left me believing it was just another "dive uneducated" reporter. That in reality, the concern HAD been embolism and not DCS.

That would be typical, but the reporter is quoting the diver:

"I was looking at the surface and I knew I was bleeding, so I thought I'll either bleed out or do risk getting the bends and get the hell up there," said Brine. "I was really confused. I remember being out of air and the surface was still another 10 or 15 feet, and I was thinking, 'Damn I didn't make it.' All of a sudden I saw the emergency regulator and put it in my mouth and shot right up to the surface."

So not only was he hit by a barracuda, he also went OOA during the ascent to the surface. He was 10-15 feet from the surface and didn't think he could make it the rest of the way from that distance. He found an emergency regulator (???) and then once he had all the air he needed, he "shot right up to the surface" (risking an embolism).

Does this sound to you like a diver who really knows what he is doing?

 

[chillyinCanada]

Well you certainly make an excellent point! I should have 're-read the op before commenting to remind myself that it was the bitten diver's own words. No, sounds like an accident waiting to happen but who'da thunk this????

 

[Ayisha]

So not only was he hit by a barracuda, he also went OOA during the ascent to the surface. He was 10-15 feet from the surface and didn't think he could make it the rest of the way from that distance...

If he had left a reserve, he would probably have never been bitten, since he would have already been finished the dive when the barracuda bit. He and the cuda may never have even crossed paths. Moral: Adhere to minimum gas rule!

 

[agilis]

Had this diver been using a tank with a j-valve the ooa issue could have been avoided.


(Just kidding. Visualize a smiley face here)

 

[DEEPLOU]

That would be typical, but the reporter is quoting the diver:

"I was looking at the surface and I knew I was bleeding, so I thought I'll either bleed out or do risk getting the bends and get the hell up there," said Brine. "I was really confused. I remember being out of air and the surface was still another 10 or 15 feet, and I was thinking, 'Damn I didn't make it.' All of a sudden I saw the emergency regulator and put it in my mouth and shot right up to the surface."

So not only was he hit by a barracuda, he also went OOA during the ascent to the surface. He was 10-15 feet from the surface and didn't think he could make it the rest of the way from that distance. He found an emergency regulator (???) and then once he had all the air he needed, he "shot right up to the surface" (risking an embolism).

Does this sound to you like a diver who really knows what he is doing?

Not to me. It almost sounds like someone who isn't even a certified diver.

 

[Hank49]

One way to get a close up look at barracuda is to lay on the bottom. Never mind your buoyancy control, just flat out lay in the sand and play dead. Hold your breath. They'll make a 180 degree turn and come right back at you almost every time.
Yesterday I was doing this free diving and these barros' came right at me on three dives. If I wasn't so fast and such a good shot , they probably would have torn me to pieces.

But seriously, they're just another thing in the sea that can hurt you in that 1 in 10,000 encounters. They're curious but if you move towards them, they swim off and maintain their distance. But they WILL come in very close if you lay on the bottom. That's how those three ended up in my frying pan.

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