Shot through the heart (somewhat graphic warning)

[CuzzA]

I found a speargun once, it was under some kelp like seaweed laying on the bottom. I could just make out the tube in the open spaces. I grabbed the tube, pulled up and was looking at the muzzle end of a loaded speargun! My hands were around the tube/bands so I was safe. I unloaded it and found the owner thru SB.

AD, there was no way you were safe because you were holding the bands. Your hands can't hold back the power of loaded bands should the trigger mech let loose, which would be more of a possibility if it's been rusting under water for some time.

 

[AfterDark]

AD, there was no way you were safe because you were holding the bands. Your hands can't hold back the power of loaded bands should the trigger mech let loose, which would be more of a possibility if it's been rusting under water for some time.

Well that may be but it didn't release anyway and I felt safer than if someone else had been holding the handle end! There aren't too many safe ways to handle a loaded spear gun from the muzzle end while looking at the spear tip. I wasn't even sure it was a spear gun and definitely didn't know that it was loaded. I turned it around as soon as I saw what it was and unloaded it, as an aside the safety was engaged. As for rusted parts, the owner, who I found a week or so later thru SB, told me his buddy had lost it on a Sunday dive. I found it Monday the day after. Sometimes Neptune smiles on ya!

 

[CuzzA]

As for comments about being paired with a spearfisherman, has any non shooter ever been forced to buddy with a spearfisherman on a charter?

My understanding is these groups are separated, though I know photographers like to buddy with hunters as there's a greater possibility of seeing sharks. So the comments sound like made up hyperbole. Even if a charter tried to pair someone with a spearfisherman I can't imagine any of them would force you. I have never heard a story like that.

@Johnoly that is pretty good hypothesis to what happened. Though his buddy could have shot him in the water column just as well. With more and more idiots putting their cameras on their guns we see more and more reckless muzzle discipline as they forget they're holding a loaded gun and turn into a cameraman.

I've brought my gun loaded up on the boat once. There was no risk to anyone as I just laid it on the swim platform and then realized it was still loaded. Things can happen quick in the water, especially while hunting. Normally I hand my gun up muzzle to the sky because there's a higher risk of the boat rocking and me getting impaled. When I'm the one grabbing the gun from a diver the first thing I look for is if it's loaded, and a few times I've had to back away and tell the diver to unload the gun.

Accidents happen. Calling it karma is stupid. No different than saying it was karma for a guy dying in a car accident on his way to the grocery store to buy some red snapper fillets.

 

[CuzzA]

Well that may be but it didn't release anyway and I felt safer than if someone else had been holding the handle end! There aren't too many safe ways to handle a loaded spear gun from the muzzle end while looking at the spear tip. I wasn't even sure it was a spear gun and definitely didn't know that it was loaded. I turned it around as soon as I saw what it was and unloaded it, as an aside the safety was engaged. As for rusted parts, the owner, who I found a week or so later thru SB, told me his buddy had lost it on a Sunday dive. I found it Monday the day after. Sometimes Neptune smiles on ya!

No doubt I'm sure it was a shock when you realized it.

The bands are super powerful. It takes two arms with the butt on your chest or hip to load it. They even sell shafts with cheater tabs on them so guys can load to the cheater, regroup and then finish the pull to full power.

My hip is usually bruised after a day of spearfishing, though these days not so much because I think I've killed all the tissue there.

 

[AfterDark]

No doubt I'm sure it was a shock when you realized it.

The bands are super powerful. It takes two arms with the butt on your chest or hip to load it. They even sell shafts with cheater tabs on them so guys can load to the cheater, regroup and then finish the pull to full power.

My hip is usually bruised after a day of spearfishing, though these days not so much because I think I've killed all the tissue there.

Yeah FL guns are like that because ya'll can have great vis there. Here in RI great vis is 20' and that is hard to find most days. Less than 10' vis is the norm here so smaller/shorter guns with less range and less powerful and/or fewer bands are what we use. Which is what this gun was only actually smaller because, as he claimed it was his spare or backup gun, that he loaned to his buddy, for the last time probably!
A true mark of a newbe around here is someone with a spear gun so long they won't see the end of it most days!

 

[Belzelbub]

As for comments about being paired with a spearfisherman, has any non shooter ever been forced to buddy with a spearfisherman on a charter?

My understanding is these groups are separated, though I know photographers like to buddy with hunters as there's a greater possibility of seeing sharks. So the comments sound like made up hyperbole. Even if a charter tried to pair someone with a spearfisherman I can't imagine any of them would force you. I have never heard a story like that.

I was wondering about that. I wouldn’t think either group would be thrilled with partnering up with the other. Maybe on a 6pack charter, but I wouldn’t want to spear on a head boat charter. Too many people around.

Accidents happen. Calling it karma is stupid. No different than saying it was karma for a guy dying in a car accident on his way to the grocery store to buy some red snapper fillets.

Yeah, that was a dumb comment. I’m glad it was removed. There wasn’t enough information to make that leap.

My hip is usually bruised after a day of spearfishing, though these days not so much because I think I've killed all the tissue there.

Yep. When I first started, the bruise surprised me. Less and less these days.

 

[Hiszpan]

“Shot through the heart…. You give love, a bad name!”

 

[Seaweed Doc]

The fact that nobody is using the bullseye emoji in the replies tells me you all are better people than I am. (But even I wouldn't have mentioned this if the gentleman didn't recover.)

A little reminiscent of an acquaintance of mine who inadvertently harpooned himself in the butt with a device used to tag sharks for research. I want to say he was in the Bahamas. His choice was a commercial flight to Miami, spear still embedded where he could get good drugs, or else local doc would remove it, assisted by anaesthesiologist Dr. Jack Daniels. He went with Jack....

 

[Thunder Struck]

A little reminiscent of an acquaintance of mine who inadvertently harpooned himself in the butt with a device used to tag sharks for research. I want to say he was in the Bahamas. His choice was a commercial flight to Miami, spear still embedded where he could get good drugs, or else local doc would remove it, assisted by anaesthesiologist Dr. Jack Daniels. He went with Jack....

Why do I get the feeling the local doc was also assisted by Dr. Daniels?

 

[scubaozy]

Yeah, that was a dumb comment. I’m glad it was removed. There wasn’t enough information to make that leap.

Now this is a dumb comment. There was no judgment in that post, it did not say good karma nor bad karma. What happened to him is identical what he set out to do to another living species. It was absolutely neutral. Typical SB lynch mob