Speargun Accidents?

[miketsp]

When I was in the Canaries in the early 70s, a diver came out of the water with a loaded fully pumped pneumatic (Nemrod) speargun and for some reason it went off. The tourist beach was crowded and according to the newspaper it wounded 5 and killed 1 before the spear stopped. Of course the muzzle didn't resist the piston impact and blew out as well. There was a photo of the remains of the gun in the newspaper.

 

[shooter226]

I sold a diver some new fins when his pneumatic Mares snub nose went off in the holster. He was lucky and just missed the foot pocket.

I always carry my spear guns by hand.

Mark

 

[Scubaroo]

An 11 year old kid was shot in the head with a speargun on a Sydney beach two weeks ago - a 12 year old companion picked it up and it "went off". The speargun had been left loaded and cocked after getting out of the water, and was apparently about to be loaded into a vehicle. Link to a related article:

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,11450543%5E421,00.html

Had an idiot unknowingly point a loaded speargun at myself and a buddy on the weekend - he was (illegally) spearfishing on snorkel under a pier we were diving, we looked up from about 12' to see this guy with his speargun (bands stretched ready for firing) pointing down in the water at us. He didn't seem to realise we were there (despite our bubbles!). He was getting out, if he'd been lazy and just fired the gun off to uncock it rather than taking the bands off, there was a very real risk he would have hit one of us. Surfaced and told him he was breaking the law by spearfishing under a pier. He didn't care. Had earlier surfaced and told his 10 year old son to beat it as well, who had a pole spear under the pier. Spearfishing within 30m/100' of a pier is illegal in Victoria.

 

[Tom Winters]

Iwas off Molokai (island in-between Oahu and Maui) in the early 80's listening to channel 16 about one guy in a dive boat who speared his buddy while they were still in their boat. The medevac helicopter was having a hard time finding the boat since the guy on the radio was was pretty incoherent - probably not too senior a rocket scientist to begin with if he shot his friend on the boat. Plus the shoreside Coast Guard station was at the limit of UHF range and trying to vector in the helo which had to fly in from Oahu.
I never heard one way or the other about what happened after they airlifted the shot guy. Lots of strange things happened off the coast of Molokai.
I had forgotten how powerful spearguns are since I gave up spearing in the 60's. I was tuning my wife's 42" AB Biller speargun, and just for s**ts-and-grins, I fired it off in the backyard. It was a real "Oh s**t!!!" moment watching the spear go sailing way past the trees into the next yard. Fortunately, the neighbors live in Canukistan and were still up north, so they didn't hear the spear slam into their wall.

 

[Fly N Dive]

i remember hearing about a guy diving in the med who somehow shot himself in the neck or head. i dont remember any details, just remember hearing about it. any one else hear about something like that, it was at least a year ago most likely more

 

[Scubaroo]

Forgot to mention a friend once "demo'd" his speargun in the loungeroom before a snorkelling expedition - he put it through the wall in a rental apartment. Luckily it lodged in the wall rather than going right through.

I think people basically forget that they are weapons that fire a potentially deadly projectile, and command respect.

 

[baitedstorm]

I'm not into the whole spear fishing thing, to each his own, but one of the most horrifying things I've ever seen was diving off a charter boat in Jupiter, Fl with a boat FULL of hunters, no worries for me, I'll just stay far, far away from them. Right, sure, the ocean just wasn't big enough that day. There's nothing like turning around and seeing a spear gun ready to fire pointed straight at you in the hands of a diver you don't know... yikes!

 

[100days-a-year]

Any actual stats or newswire reports?I hear a lot of urban legend stuff locally but personally only know 2 instances of injury both due to idiots being allowed to have powerheads.I know at least dozens and possibly a hundred spearfishermen personally and the incidence of injury is predominanty sprains during loading or shooting.
Loaded spearguns on my boat are thrown overboard by whoever sees it first,unless a warning is decided upon along with a serious dressdown..It is a breach of etiquette,safety and common sense.The expensive lesson will stick better.

 

[BluewaterRocket]

"The tourist beach was crowded and according to the newspaper it wounded 5 and killed 1 before the spear stopped."

Huh?.... oh yeah, that's kinda like the time I killed a buffalo and wounded two goats and a sheep with a single shot from my son's daisy bb gun. :1poke:

 

[JRScuba]

I came pretty close to getting speared. It sure was not the greatest feeling. Be sure you know who is behind you or better yet keep them in front of you.