Oregon man shot in head while snorkeling

[Rick Murchison]

Hey Rick:

I see Brown and Red on the map legend and a Sand and Red color on the map. Does that mean the states in sand color are not supposed to have nutria? Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency says it's open season on nutria here, so I reckon they must be here too...... But I've never seen any or talked to anyone that has seen them in TN.

And here's the story with MUGSHOT if you care to gaze upon his intelligent countenance:

http://www.katu.com/news/local/5692751.html

I HAVE met some divers around here that did bear a remarkable resemblence to rodent. They have a hard time getting their mask to seal around their furry faces.

The brown is in the legend because this map is in a series of maps for various species where the native range is shown. There's no brown on the map itself because the native range for the nutria is all in South America and all populations in the US are introduced. And the map needs updating, obviously, to include Tennessee.
Rick

 

[Aqualovr]

Once a few years ago, while diving under a bridge in the Tennessee River, my dive buddy & me were just having a good ol time lookin for bottles & such...during the dive we both started hearing concussive sounds but didn't know what the heck it was...after we decided to end the dive, we continued with our plan. to swim along the bottom back down current to our exit site , a clear place along the bank...we got out and as we were walking up to our tarp, a State Trooper car pulled in behind ours... he said that it's a good thing that we'd towed a diverdown flag along, or else the guy that had called him wouldn't have known that the 4 teenagers he seen throwing boulders & rocks in the water off the bridge were endangering anyone... so....there ya go...

 

[Mike Edmonston]

Once a few years ago, while diving under a bridge in the Tennessee River, my dive buddy & me were just having a good ol time lookin for bottles & such...during the dive we both started hearing concussive sounds but didn't know what the heck it was...after we decided to end the dive, we continued with our plan. to swim along the bottom back down current to our exit site , a clear place along the bank...we got out and as we were walking up to our tarp, a State Trooper car pulled in behind ours... he said that it's a good thing that we'd towed a diverdown flag along, or else the guy that had called him wouldn't have known that the 4 teenagers he seen throwing boulders & rocks in the water off the bridge were endangering anyone... so....there ya go...

At least you weren't wearing a "furry hood" or they would have shot you.

Cheers

Mike

 

[Misplaced Priority]

Yeah, I particularly hate those damned turtles that use snorkels... All snorkel-using turtles deserve to be shot...

You gotta wonder about this guy. Hell, he's 60. Many 60 year old guys got over the need to do stupid things with guns years earlier....

 

[Gombessa]

Once a few years ago, while diving under a bridge in the Tennessee River, my dive buddy & me were just having a good ol time lookin for bottles & such...during the dive we both started hearing concussive sounds but didn't know what the heck it was...after we decided to end the dive, we continued with our plan. to swim along the bottom back down current to our exit site , a clear place along the bank...we got out and as we were walking up to our tarp, a State Trooper car pulled in behind ours... he said that it's a good thing that we'd towed a diverdown flag along, or else the guy that had called him wouldn't have known that the 4 teenagers he seen throwing boulders & rocks in the water off the bridge were endangering anyone... so....there ya go...

Please tell me those kids just didn't see or didn't know what a dive buoy was, and that they weren't intentionally trying to hit you?

 

[Skipraha]

Most of those that did not get over the need to be stupid with guns never made it to 60!

 

[cndscuba]

This guy should have never been shot and he deserves something for his injuries, but here are some facts that seem to be missing from the newspaper articles...

1) The guy who got shot was diving on private property... he committed a felony by trespassing... the only way he could have gotten where he was is by crawling over the fence around the property.
2) He trespassed with a spear gun, which is also a felony because it is classified as a firearm in the United States.
2) The man watching the ranch who shot the diver was house sitting and he thought the diver was an animal that might threaten the animals on the ranch
3) There were no drugs/narcotics involved except an old pipe found with marijuana residue... who doesn't smoke pot? I mean come on!
4) The firearm itself did not belong to the house owner and was not illegal... The man who owned the house (who was on vacation when this happened) is a respected ex-military man who collected antique guns and had them in his gun cabinet.
5) The gun used belonged to the shooter, who was not supposed to have one in his possession... see next point
5) The shooter has a felony charge from 25 years ago for growing a pot plant and that is why he is not supposed to own a firearm... how many people have grown a pot plant and just not got caught... our new president admittedly grew pots plants at one time!!!
5) The diver is now claiming that he did not bring a spear gun onto the property, however, he has already collected money to replace the spear gun from the shooter.
6) The owners of the property who were not even there when this happened are being sued for millions now... how does law allow this?

 

[TexasFencer]

This guy should have never been shot and he deserves something for his injuries, but here are some facts that seem to be missing from the newspaper articles...

1) The guy who got shot was diving on private property... he committed a felony by trespassing... the only way he could have gotten where he was is by crawling over the fence around the property.
2) He trespassed with a spear gun, which is also a felony because it is classified as a firearm in the United States.
2) The man watching the ranch who shot the diver was house sitting and he thought the diver was an animal that might threaten the animals on the ranch
3) There were no drugs/narcotics involved except an old pipe found with marijuana residue... who doesn't smoke pot? I mean come on!
4) The firearm itself did not belong to the house owner and was not illegal... The man who owned the house (who was on vacation when this happened) is a respected ex-military man who collected antique guns and had them in his gun cabinet.
5) The gun used belonged to the shooter, who was not supposed to have one in his possession... see next point
5) The shooter has a felony charge from 25 years ago for growing a pot plant and that is why he is not supposed to own a firearm... how many people have grown a pot plant and just not got caught... our new president admittedly grew pots plants at one time!!!
5) The diver is now claiming that he did not bring a spear gun onto the property, however, he has already collected money to replace the spear gun from the shooter.
6) The owners of the property who were not even there when this happened are being sued for millions now... how does law allow this?

If I may ask, what is your relationship to this incident and those involved so that we may have context for your information?

How would a nutria, whatever his claim was, be a threat to the ranch animals? I ask this because I am unfamiliar with the species.

There are quite a few people who don't smoke pot.

No one accused the house owner of any wrong doing.

Even if the felony was for something as innocuous as growing a marijuana plant, it was still illegal for him to own a firearm.

How do you know about the victim's legal and insurance activities?

 

[frankc420]

This thread is 2 years old....

If I may ask, what is your relationship to this incident and those involved so that we may have context for your information?

How would a nutria, whatever his claim was, be a threat to the ranch animals? I ask this because I am unfamiliar with the species.

There are quite a few people who don't smoke pot.

No one accused the house owner of any wrong doing.

Even if the felony was for something as innocuous as growing a marijuana plant, it was still illegal for him to own a firearm.

How do you know about the victim's legal and insurance activities?

 

[ba_hiker]

Even my updated map needs updating then.
Having read the whole thread, I don't see any reason to disbelieve the shooter. He thought he was "plinking" with his .22... he wasn't exactly sure what that was on the surface, but figured it must be a nutria - never dawned on him it could be a person until after the fact.
Stupid - yes.
Probably criminally stupid (not even counting the possession of gun & drugs violations) - yes.
Surprising?
Now that I read the whole thing... not really.
I see criminally stupid stunts on the road nearly every day.
As a side note, it still appears the victim was swimming alone, which ain't exactly wise, either, in my opinion.
Rick

Never assume malfeasance when incompetence will do.