Florida Spear-Fisherman drowns

[Knockneed Man]

A Fish Too Far: Florida Spear-Fisherman Drowns After Being Entangled and Pulled to Ocean Bottom by Giant Grouper

by Underwatertimes.com News Service


Miami, Florida (Sep 11, 2006 18:42 EST) A Florida diver shot a large grouper with a speargun then apparently drowned when the fish sped into a hole, entangling the man in the line attached to the spear, investigators said today.

The 42-year-old man, whose name was withheld, was free-diving in about 7.5 metres of water off the lower Florida Keys on Saturday and speared a Goliath Grouper, Monroe County Sheriff's Detective Mark Coleman said.

"It looks like the fish wrapped the line attached to the spear around the victim's wrist. The fish then went into a hole in a coral rock, effectively pinning the man to the bottom of the ocean," Detective Coleman said in a news release.

Police divers found the speared fish tightly wedged into the hole, with the man's body still tangled in the line, a sheriff's spokeswoman said.

Goliath Grouper are the largest members of the sea

 

[Tom Winters]

I guess that's the last time he shoots a protected species.

 

[DennisW]

Hate to say it, but, what goes around, comes around. You just don't hunt a protected species.

 

[ReefGuy]

I guess that's the last time he shoots anything. Personally, I'm withholding opinion on shooting the jewfish.

Newspapers are notoriously inaccurate when reporting any diving related accident. Even if he did, it could have been self defense.

The biggest question I have is where was his knife/shears/zknife?

My condolences to the family.

 

[OBXDIVEGUY]

I could care less what kind of fish it was. Protected or not, it does not overshadow the fact that a man died. How about a little respect?

 

[CBulla]

It makes me wonder where anyone else was or was he out alone? At anyrate, and all speculation aside, if he was an experienced fisherman of any sort he'd have not shot a Goliath much less allowed his hand to be in position for entanglement by the line off his own weapon.

My condolences to the family.... and may someone other than this poor soul have learned something from this.

 

[deeper thoughts]

We were at hens and chickens a couple of days ago and saw a huge jewfish and 5-6 groupers, i guess the protections are really paying off.
My prayers to the divers family

 

[Chad Carney]

I'm sad to see this happened. My condolences as well.

Spearfishing certainly can be dangerous, especially freediving.

The result could have been the same with a legal fish like a cuda or amberjack.

Divers who properly learn the sport, know the fish species and are equipped with the necessary gear greatly reduce the risks.

Chad

 

[MasterGoa]

Is scuba hunting allowed?

 

[cjv]

Is scuba hunting allowed?

I'm doing both. Freediving and on scuba. Spearfishing on scuba is still allowed here.

Our condolences to the family of the drowned spearo. Legal fish or illegal fish, accidents can happen when you least expect it.


Chris Velez