Posted on 07/25/2005 11:02:03 AM PDT by nickcarraway
HONOLULU - A 19-year-old Mililani man is recovering at Queen's Medical Center after being impaled by what he says was a barracuda.
Tonga "Piu" Loumoli was night diving off Kahana Bay near Kaaawa in Windward Oahu late Thursday night when a four-foot-long fish charged into his stomach. The fish wiggled loose, but left behind a six-inch-long gash and a tooth.
A fishing buddy put Loumoli in a small dinghy and dragged him nearly a mile to shore and flagged down a police officer who called for help.
Marine expert Craig Thomas said he has never heard of a barracuda charging into a swimmer. He said it seems more likely that Loumoli was impaled by a needlefish.
But Loumoli, who has been night diving since his freshman year in high school, is adamant that he was attacked by a barracuda.
His fishing companion, Braven Rivera, said he saw the fish clearly and agreed it was a barracuda. The tooth could solve the mystery, Thomas said.
Loumoli was reported in serious condition in the hospital's intensive care unit where he was being treated for a serious liver injury. He is on a machine to help his breathing and cannot talk.
But he scribbled a note to his mother and sister saying, "I'm going to quit diving."
NavyCanDo,
Did you ever dive in Guam? There were barracuda all over the place there. We would lie down on our backs in a sandy spot in about 20ft of water and feed the reef fish out of cans of vienna sausage. It would only take a few minutes for the 'cudas to show up and start picking off the reef fish we had lured into the open. It was like watching an air show, only with fish.
The only time I had ever been scared while diving was doing a wreck dive where we surprised a GIGANTIC grouper. He chased us out of the ship and all the way back to shore. As we were trying to get away from him he would swim off a ways then come directly at us at top speed and would only turn right at the last second. He did that to us all the way until we were in about 6ft of water. We borrowed a 44mag bang-stick and went back the next day with some rope but he was gone.
I was once charged by a 6 foot barracuda at the mouth of Akumal bay nature preserve in the Yucatan. I turned my flippers to it as a quick reaction, but if he'd wanted a bite, I'm sure he would have taken one.
Oh, why not:
IT'S BUSH'S FAULT.
Phew, feel better already.
I've had the same experience off the Caymans, with barracudas...they tend to just "hang there"..looking at you..usually groups of 2-4..they stay parallel so they can see you with the one eye..they they like accelerate in a flash..
Actually, I'm very, very, surprised..25 posts and not ONE pic of a Plymouth Baccaruda..
>Giving us the tooth, the whole tooth, and nothing BUT the tooth.<
So help me 'cod'
Sounds like fun. Almost as much fun as dodging cars as you run across traffic on the freeway.
Older Barracuda become very territorial and will swim right up to your face to check you out when you cross the boudary of their turf.
I had one play games with me for 100+ yards swim back to the boat. He'd dart at me, I'd shake my spearpole at him and he'd dart out of sight, only to return and do the same thing again and again all the way back to the boat.
Trust me, for a bunch of 20-something year old military guys stuck on an island in the middle of nowhere it was great fun.
That is some gawd-awful color...lime puke?
Hemi too!
Much better color...I do so remember when the "tie downs" first came out..they were soooooo kewl..then of course, Plymouth tried to exten the brand..screwed the pooch..remember the "Road Runner?"" BEEP! BEEP!!
Kids got a hallibut wound.
Yea, I can see how it would appeal to a bunch of 20 something bored military guys. I was one once myself. But that was almost 20 years ago and my idea of fun is now watching my 4 1/2 year old daughter learning to ride her bike without training wheels.
ah, so that explains it....
I've noticed they seem to like hanging around the anchor line. The only time I've heard of them being agressive is when divers are spearing them or hitting them with reflected sunlight.
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