Number 5: Brendon Burns
Brendon Burns is an Australian stand-up comedian, but there was nothing funny about what happened
to him while visiting his native country.
Burns had been in town to take care of his ailing mother and was taking a moment to unwind
visiting the Peasholm Dog Beach.
He decided to take a swim in the ocean and dove into an incoming wave.
Burns didn’t even realize he’d stepped on a deadly stonefish until it was too late.
At first, he thought he cut himself on a bottle lying on the bottom of the sea, but he soon
realized that wasn’t the case.
The comedian described the pain as paralyzing and stated that he couldn’t even stand up.
He could only rest in a fetal position after he was dragged out of the water.
He kept screaming in distress and was aided by a woman he only knew as Helen.
She kept helping him pour water on the sting, which diminished the pain little by little.
The Good Samaritan also drove his car and took him to the hospital, which prevented
his situation from being more serious than it could have been.
Next up, we’ll discuss a tourist having his holiday suddenly interrupted by a terrible,
throbbing pain, but first, let’s learn more about the deadly stonefish.
What is it?
The Synanceiidae, more popularly known as the stonefish, is an incredibly dangerous
marine creature.
Their name is derived from their peculiar appearance.
They look like rocks and, since they usually swim close to the ocean’s floor, can be
easily mistaken.
Their bodies are typically a dark shade of brown and they lack scales.
They tend to cover themselves in algae to help better mimic the stones around them.
This is their primary mechanism both for hunting and defending themselves from predators, as
they can perfectly merge with their surroundings.
They feed off other fish and several different crustaceans, lurking quietly until one swims
past them.
They attack suddenly and without mercy, with surprising speed for a fish that spends most
of its life staying still.
Most of the stonefish species are adapted to marine environments, but some can live
in rivers, making them overall dangerous and versatile predators.
They have several spiky dorsal fin spines, which they can stick up to attack their victims
when they’re threatened or want to hunt for food.
They're often described as being among the world’s most venomous fish.
What’s amazing about stonefish is that they are able to survive out of the water for up
to a full day, as long as they remain moist.
They achieve this incredible feat by breathing through their skin instead of their gills.
After 24 hours, though, if they don’t manage to slip back into the ocean, they’ll perish
from dehydration.
The stonefish is considered a delicacy in some Asian countries and it’s very important
to remove their dorsal fins in order to avoid suffering any harm by eating it.
Number 4: Keven Renshaw Keven Renshaw was enjoying a relaxing getaway
with his girlfriend Grace Scantlebury at Bargara, in Australia.
They were swimming around and enjoying the coastal town’s clear waters when Renshaw
thought a fish had bitten his foot.
The man, native from Ireland, quickly realized he hadn’t been bitten at all, but that he’d
instead stepped on the dangerous stonefish.
In doing so, he was stung between his toes.
He explained the pain was intense at first but grew worse after around 10 minutes.
Renshaw noticed several rocks around the bottom of the sea but hadn’t considered one of
them could be the deadly fish.
He described the pain as hitting his feet with a hammer and then rubbing the wound repeatedly
with a nail file.
Renshaw had suffered a heart attack a few years prior and knew that level of pain was
dangerous for his heart, so he was rushed to the hospital where he was immediately admitted
into the ER.
The doctors realized a barb from the stonefish had remained stuck on the man’s left foot.
It had to be removed via surgery.
By then, however, his pain had been relieved with medication, so he was essentially out
of harm’s way regarding his heart condition.
Before we get to a Japanese man that actually died after being attacked by a stonefish,
let’s take a moment to discover where this fish is located around the globe.
Where is it located?
All five species of stonefish inhabit the Indian and Pacific oceans, usually near the
coasts and beaches.
There are a few exceptions, as mentioned earlier, which are able to survive in rivers.
Stonefish usually lie on the ocean floor near coral reefs, and next to rocks in order to
properly camouflage themselves.
They tend to hide just beneath the sand, so that their disguise increases their chances
to catch fresh prey.
They’re especially prominent around the Australian, Fijian, Chinese and Japanese beaches
but they’re also found in other countries.
Their dorsal fins feature more than 13 different spines as well as other hidden spikes that
remain underneath their skin.
Stonefish also have 2 pelvic and 3 anal spines, but they too are hidden in the skin.
They use their sharp weapons to defend themselves from their natural predators, among which
there are several types of sharks and rays.
These fish live both within groups and as lone individuals and are capable of surviving
without the help of others in their species for almost their entire lives.
Their life expectancy in the wild is between 5 and 10 years.
Number 3: Unnamed Japanese man
An unnamed Japanese diving instructor was killed by the sting of a stonefish in Okinawa.
The 58-year-old man was giving clients diving lessons, in Koki Beach, when he suddenly fainted
in front of his students.
The man was standing barefoot inside the water, and reported feeling a sharp sting but couldn’t
describe any other symptoms prior to losing consciousness.
The man succumbed to the poisonous sting, despite attempts to help him.
One colleague tried to remove the poison from the wound and poured hot water on the affected
area.
The victim didn’t even make it to the ambulance.
By the time help arrived, he was no longer breathing.
Though reanimation was attempted, he was declared dead less than an hour and a half after being
stung by the stonefish.
Up next, we’ll talk about a man who was stung by a stonefish on an island with no
anti-venom injections available.
But first, we’ll discuss all the ways this dangerous aquatic animal can actually kill
and harm you.
How Will It Kill You?
The stonefish is a slow swimmer, but an incredibly fast attacker.
It can spring into action and eat its prey in less than 0.015 seconds.
They wait until the very last second, and then lunge at their victim.
Their large mouth and strong jaws allow them to generate enough pressure on their prey
to swallow victims almost whole, before they can even react.
The main danger for human beings, though, isn’t the actual bite, but rather its spines.
It’s easy to step on the stonefish, mainly because you’d be mistaking it for just another
rock.
Its venom is released when pressure is applied on the spines.
Each single one has a small gland that frees the poison, and the harder it presses against
a person’s limb, the more venom it’ll inject.
The venom of the stonefish is incredibly dangerous to humans.
It can cause extreme pain, numbness, immobility and even necrosis of the affected tissue.
People who suffer from heart conditions are at a greater risk of dying as a result of
the sting.
What’s worse, its venom can also create anxiety and panic in its victims, so people
who are already in terrible pain can’t think straight while trying to deal with the consequences
of stepping on a stonefish.
If a spine is lodged in the foot or leg, it’s usually necessary to extract it through surgery.
Additionally, the area can quickly become infected, worsening the patient’s condition.
Another danger of being stung by a stonefish is drowning.
Since the pain can be paralyzing and its venom can cause nausea and convulsions, victims
may be unable to leave the water by themselves.
Immediate assistance from those surrounding the person that has been stung can significantly
increase their chances of survival.
This video requested by Tyeshawn Pitts.
If you have any other topics you'd like to learn about subscribe and let us know in the
comments section below.
Number 2: Craig Saxby
Australian Craig Saxby was enjoying a relaxing vacation in Fiji when disaster struck.
He was stung by a stonefish and experienced what he described was the most intense pain
of his entire life.
The pain spread from his foot to the rest of his leg, and he mentioned it felt like
he was being struck with a sledgehammer every 10 seconds.
He also experienced difficulty breathing and intense nausea.
Unfortunately, there was no anti-venom available on the island of Fiji, and so he was treated
with alternative methods.
Saxby was injected with morphine and antibiotics, as well as a number of other medications.
He couldn’t walk for a while after the incident, requiring crutches to move around, and the
wound left behind a dark scar.
Saxby was told that it might take as long as 6 months to go back to his normal life,
but that he’d eventually make a full recovery.
Before we get to number one on our list, about a newlywed who had his honeymoon ruined by
a near-deadly encounter, we’ll give you some tips about how to survive and avoid the
stonefish’s sting.
How to Survive?
For anyone, stepping on a stonefish may be hard to avoid due to its master camouflage
abilities.
Therefore, measures have been taken to help prevent the damage produced by its sting from
being lethal to human beings.
In the 1950s, anti-venom was developed, which diminished the effects of the poison in the
victim’s body.
If stung, it’s paramount to pour hot water on the wound and to get immediate medical
help.
The pain must be managed, as it can cause heart failure in people who suffer from previous
medical conditions.
Surgery might be necessary, depending on the wound.
Necrosis, if it occurs, must be managed to avoid spreading to the rest of the affected
limb.
Antibiotics are also necessary, and the patient might take weeks or even months to return
to their normal life.
Chronic pain and difficulty walking are common symptoms that linger for a long period of
time after the initial attack.
It’s hard to avoid stepping on a stonefish, as they tend to look just like another stone
from the surface, so the only way to prevent a sting is not to enter the water barefooted.
It’s possible to keep yourself from walking on any stones, but it depends on the specific
beach you are visiting, as the ocean floor might be filled with various rocks.
Number 1: Jamie Kelly
Honeymoons are supposed to be idyllic vacations for a newlywed couple, but Jamie Kelly and
his bride experienced the complete opposite while snorkeling in the seas of Mauritius,
an Indian Ocean island.
He was stung on his feet by one of the spears of the deadly stonefish, and the whole area
became swollen gradually spreading to the entirety of his limb.
Kelly was lucky, as he was immediately given medical attention and anti-venom by the local
doctors.
He said that the pain didn’t recede at all during his first night at the hospital, and
he was kept under medical care for two more days after the attack.
After he returned home, he had to continue his treatment, enduring daily antibiotic injections
until the doctors considered he’d fully recovered.
Thanks for watching!
Would you rather be stung by a stonefish or have bad Internet connection for the rest
of your life?
Let us know in the comments section below!