Fisherman speared in face - KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

[DandyDon]

KZN diver rushed to hospital after he was speared in the face

A spear fisherman was shot in the face by a spear off the KwaZulu-Natal south coast on Friday morning.

According to Netcare911 spokesperson Shawn Herbst, the incident took place around 9.30am at Scottburgh, south of Durban.

"Reports from the scene indicate that a 48-year-old male sustained serious facial trauma after being shot in the face by a spear. He was pulled out the water by eThekwini lifeguards, where he was treated on scene," he said.

Pictures seen by TimesLIVE show the spear entering the man's right cheek, just below his eye. It exits his face between his left eye and his ear.

The man was taken by helicopter to hospital for further treatment after being stabilised on the scene.

The circumstances leading up to the incident were unclear, said Herbst.

 

[BoltSnap]

I saw the pictures, very gruesome indeed.

 

[wgw04024]

He was shot 'by a spear'?

 

[KathyV]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7413103/South-Africa-fisherman-fighting-life-shot-face-SPEAR-GUN.html

 

[Sam Miller III]

Wow ! That had to hurt !

FWIW
My first Consult / Professional witness involved a murder by spear gun.
I no longer maintain the files but it was 1957 or 1958,approximately 60 years ago. Recalling from a cloudy memory ….

Two less than desirable neighbors were finishing the week off by tipping more that a few beers. Some how the discussion migrated to a spear gun.

It was loaded fired several times and in the process one of the participants was shot sustaining a flesh wound to his arm. He was hustled off to the local hospital patched up and sent home with his drinking buddy.

More drinking, a heated argument broke out and the shooter, once again picked up the spear gun and shot the victim "center mass" causing considerable damage which resulted in his death.

The defense was that a spear gun was a "Toy, not a weapon"

Representing the state we set up a chair, which was placed several pine boards and the distance between the victim was stepped off and the shooter and fired "the double rubber Arbalete" as the gun was commonly called . The board spilt, the spear shaft was imbedded into a pine board and the chair tumbles backwards.

The Spear gun was considered a weapon !

The perpetrator was convicted

All this happened a long time ago during the dazzz of our dives..

Samuel Miller, 111

 

[KathyV]

Wow ! That had to hurt !

FWIW
My first Consult / Professional witness involved a murder by spear gun.
I no longer maintain the files but it was 1957 or 1958,approximately 60 years ago. Recalling from a cloudy memory ….

Two less than desirable neighbors were finishing the week off by tipping more that a few beers. Some how the discussion migrated to a spear gun.

It was loaded fired several times and in the process one of the participants was shot sustaining a flesh wound to his arm. He was hustled off to the local hospital patched up and sent home with his drinking buddy.

More drinking, a heated argument broke out and the shooter, once again picked up the spear gun and shot the victim "center mass" causing considerable damage which resulted in his death.

The defense was that a spear gun was a "Toy, not a weapon"

Representing the state we set up a chair, which was placed several pine boards and the distance between the victim was stepped off and the shooter and fired "the double rubber Arbalete" as the gun was commonly called . The board spilt, the spear shaft was imbedded into a pine board and the chair tumbles backwards.

The Spear gun was considered a weapon !

The perpetrator was convicted

All this happened a long time ago during the dazzz of our dives..

Samuel Miller, 111

Definitely a weapon!

 

[Sam Miller III]

@CathyV
!@Marie13

Have you personally ever held a spear gun in your midwestern hands ?

if you have did you ever fired a spear gun ?

Why not ?

I suspect 99 percent of the current divers are totally unfamiliar with spear guns vs 99 per cent who were pioneers in the sport grew up with spear guns and spear fishing-

Duplicates the pioneering aspect of the settlement of America

SDM

 

[KathyV]

@CathyV
!@Marie13

Have you personally ever held a spear gun in your midwestern hands ?

if you have did you ever fired a spear gun ?

Why not ?

I suspect 99 percent of the current divers are totally unfamiliar with spear guns vs 99 per cent who were pioneers in the sport grew up with spear guns and spear fishing-

Duplicates the pioneering aspect of the settlement of America

SDM

No and I have no desire to do so.

 

[Sam Miller III]

@KathyV
Good for you !

But always keep in mind that any and all activities has a beginning a middle and an end. Recreational diving began with spearfishing and now has rapidly advanced through the many stages to the documentarian stage

in any activity there is
1) those who explored the unknown
2) those who exploited the unknown
3) those who civilized the unknown
4) those who populated the unknown
5) those who documented the unknown

I was fortunate because of location and youthful and now long term interest came in at #1
I suspect you came in at #4 and will remain there

@Marie13 whom I admire for a number of reasons is already in #5 and I suspect she will be involved for a long time and contribute considerable more to the diving world.

SDM

 

[Marie13]

@CathyV
!@Marie13

Have you personally ever held a spear gun in your midwestern hands ?

if you have did you ever fired a spear gun ?

Why not ?

I suspect 99 percent of the current divers are totally unfamiliar with spear guns vs 99 per cent who were pioneers in the sport grew up with spear guns and spear fishing-

Duplicates the pioneering aspect of the settlement of America

SDM

@Sam Miller III

I do the above water version. I refer to it as “lead therapy.”