60 Injured in Christmas Piranha Attack

Outside Online ^ | 26 December 2013 | Daniel D. Snyder

[Gamecock]

The Grinch might be out of a job soon. Sixty holiday revelers in the Argentine town of Rosario found out the hard way why they should always read the signs at the beach when they were attacked by a shoal of piranhas during a Christmas Day swim.

The attack occurred at a beach along the city's Parana River, where residents were trying to escape scorching 100-degree temperatures. More than 20 children were wounded by the hyper-aggressive fish, with one seven-year-old-girl reportedly losing a piece of her finger.

The attack is the worst of its kind in Rosario since 2008, when 40 swimmers were hurt. Local government spokesman Ricardo Biasatti stressed that piranha attacks remain a rarity at the city's beaches, saying, "This sort of event in this area is absolutely sporadic. It was the conjunction of two factors, a shoal that passed very briefly through an area full of people." The fish were reportedly drawn to the coast by debris left by fisherman.

[duckman]

I wonder how many guys lost their.... oh never mind.

[Gamecock]

Well, another source reported Paramedics said dozens of people had their extremities attacked and some had lost digits.

[Venturer]

You mean lost their tackle?

[fidelis]

All I can say is, if you go swimming at any river named “Parana”, you’re just asking for trouble.

[duckman]

Errr....yea.

[AU72]

Sounds like a great place for the LGBT crowd to go if they want to save on surgery.

[Beowulf9]

I learned about how dangerous Piranhas are after seeing the movie, Lost World, based on a book written by Arthur Conan Doyle.

I would not have gone in that water.

[Gamecock]

The attack occurred at a beach along the city's Parana River, where residents were trying to escape scorching 100-degree temperatures. More than 20 children were wounded by the hyper-aggressive fish, with one seven-year-old-girl reportedly losing a piece of her finger.

Wonder if anyone lost their pinky toe?

[Louis Foxwell]

The pic at the link is of a gold pirhana.It is a loner and gets very large. They were probably attacked by a school of very small red belly pirhanas. The fact there was virtually no damage means injury was incidental. Natives swim with pirhana routinely with rare injury.

[JoeProBono]

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

They should have taken a lesson from this girl;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sj_U6vObUA

[AnAmericanAbroad]

In Argentina, the fish sticks eat you!

[Buckeye McFrog]

I feel a screenplay for Piranhanado coming on....

[basil]

LOL! Thanks for the laugh!

[Beowulf9]

"How about that great 1970’s movie “Piranha” with Heather Menzies?" You see! There are plenty of educational tools warning us out there.

[null and void]

[a fool in paradise]

Not so merry Christmas?