View Full Version : Crabs cab scarier than sharks bark.
Bertie Thruster
3rd Sep 2008, 08:23
An angler had to have extensive reconstructive surgery after being bitten by the blue shark that he had just caught.
Stephen Perkins, 52, was preparing to pose for a photograph with the shark when it clamped its multiple rows of razor sharp teeth round his forearm.
His wounds were bleeding so severely that an RAF helicopter was called to airlift him to hospital from his boat Serenity two miles off the west coast of Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel. Mr Perkins was flown to hospital and had reconstructive surgery to repair the "crush and rip" damage to his arm.
Mr Perkins was initially taken to North Devon District Hospital after the incident on Saturday.
He was transferred to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital for surgery to repair what the hospital called "crush and rip" damage to his forearm.
The severed arteries had to be pinned back together, a nerve was re-attached and tendons were repaired during the three-hour operation.
Aftre the operation Mr Perkins said:
"The scariest bit, to be honest, was going up in the helicopter."
It was one of those tiny boats with a water drive - no keel so it shot off as soon as we got downwash anywhere near it. There was no wind so it ended up as a 175' hover trim deck after 20 mins of trying different options.
He didn't look too bad as he was standing up with a towel wrapped round his arm but when we got him on board and had a look he bled all over the seats - very inconsiderate:)
We thought that by the time it got to the press it would be a Great White at least!!
MartinCh
3rd Sep 2008, 11:29
Was that bite from dead shark? Was it 'post mortem spasm'?
If not, it's just daft to be anywhere near 'live and biting' one, even if the shark's one or two metres 'only'. Swinging and biting,that's what they do all life.
I used to do some sweetwater carp and pike fishing as kid. Daring the the carp didn't hurt my finger. Wouldn't do that with pike. -removed just in case-
Crab, not sure how much of a guy you'd airlift after Great White (if they managed to get it on board of small boat). Heard there are survivors after these in Australia. If the Great White isn't elsewhere.
Aussie surfers don't chase or capture sharks though. :=
Whirlygig
3rd Sep 2008, 11:49
Agreed, 10 out of 10 for thread title but only 5/10 for punctuation! Bertie, I know that you know where to stick yer apostrophes! :} :ok:
Cheers
Whirls
Rocket2
3rd Sep 2008, 12:03
In the Torygraph he made another quote that went something like "this hasn't put me off shark fishing but in future I'll be picking them up by the blunt end!" :ok:
oldbeefer
3rd Sep 2008, 13:15
Agreed, 10 out of 10 for thread title but only 5/10 for punctuation! Bertie, I know that you know where to stick yer apostrophes! :} :ok:
Cheers
Whirls
Punctuation - that's what his arm had!
ShyTorque
3rd Sep 2008, 15:55
Lucky he didn't end up with just a semi-colon.
Non-PC Plod
3rd Sep 2008, 16:23
OK Enough of the comma-dy!:eek:
Whirlygig
3rd Sep 2008, 17:38
Perhaps he'll be a bit more circumflex with his shark handling in future!
Cheers
Whirls
Bertie Thruster
3rd Sep 2008, 19:37
Good job for a winch cab though; long trogg to shore by boat, nursing a torn artery.
...and a slightly fiddly job by the sound of it. Thank goodness for all that practice!
Regards to all at Chivenor, (my SAR alma mater, circa 1985!)
dazdaz
3rd Sep 2008, 21:09
Yep there are some nasties in the oceans, some of them can live on land.....Coconut Crab this is Not a photoshop. Do a google if not convinced.......
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b9/dazdaz1/coconut_crab1.jpg (http://www.pprune.org/%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b9/dazdaz1/coconut_crab1.jpg%5B/IMG%5D)
Daz
ShyTorque
3rd Sep 2008, 21:52
Worst case of crabs I've ever seen.... :eek:
What do they taste like (before they get into the bin)?
dazdaz
3rd Sep 2008, 22:14
ShyTorque.... I'm playing safe with prawn balls in batter with boiled rice and a sweet and sour sauce.Imagine trying to get that fecker into the pot!!!!!!!!!!! With the help of a M16
Daz
krypton_john
3rd Sep 2008, 23:56
Where's the photo from Daz? That is far and away the biggest I've seen!
ShyTorque, they are delicious. The meat is in the huge claws, which they use to tear open coconuts. I've sampled them in Vanuatu but apparently they are now endangered so I wouldn't order them again.
MartinCh
4th Sep 2008, 00:08
dazdaz,
Nah, all you need is the snake catching sling to tie the claws and then it's harmless. Still, wouldn't suggest home cooking. That beast looks like it'll either have to be hacked to smaller pieces (and thus messing up chef's orthodox methods of plunging live shelled seafood to boiling water) or using really big stock pot - the ones you can dump whole cow's leg bones with tendons still holding the thing together :-/
I never really liked checking morning delivery in kitchen and the poor sods (think langoustines) made slimy bubbles and creepy sounds. better chucking them in containers to bottom of fridge quickly.
I may be biased. I used to have fish tank.
That could be dinner for half the seafood restaurant guests incl staff.
ShyTorque, worst case of crabs you had? :E
KJ OH MY! Yeah, no way playing with cooking it alive. Such dangerous thing could snap the whole hand off. I'd use the bullet charge powered pig slaying rod gun. Not sure where to aim
Fareastdriver
4th Sep 2008, 08:35
Over here I buy all my shellfish on the hoof, as it were. I used to do the 'throwing them in the in the boiling water trick' but the cowards kept jumping out and I would have to chase them around the kitchen. I tried clamping them down in cold water and bringing it up to the boil on the basis that they went to sleep and didn't feel anything but this made them too tough. Final success was throwing them in fresh water. For some reason they quietly croak after an hour or so and then they are ready for boiling.
SASless
4th Sep 2008, 11:34
That photo brings back memories.....in Italian as I recall they were known as "pesticide (pesta...cee...dee)"!
Quite humbling to have to explain in Berlitz English/Italian to a Doll Baby of a Druggist what ailed me! Probably explained her declination to an offer of a drink and dinner too.
As to Sharkbait's comment....evidenty Crab's reputation preceeded him.:E
Well we did have a woman driver that day:)