Came into contact with a venomous fish: Hospitalized

31-year-old Burak Ulusoy, who set out into the Sea of Marmara by boat with his friends from the Dereağzı area in Yalova, fell ill after the spine of a weever fish that had caught on his line pierced his finger.

Ulusoy, whose finger and then the left side of his body went numb, was taken to Yalova Training and Research Hospital by his friends. Ulusoy, who recovered after receiving an injection and an IV drip, was later discharged.

Burak Ulusoy told reporters that he has been swimming and fishing for years but had never encountered such an incident before.

Stating that he had never seen a weever fish before, Ulusoy continued:

"I suspected the fish was venomous. I didn't actually touch it; the fish fell into the boat. It stung my finger while I was leaning over to pick it up. I experienced incredible pain; I cannot find the words to describe it. My entire left side started to go numb. I started to feel even worse on the way to the hospital; I had nausea and such. We went to the hospital, they hooked me up to an IV and gave me an allergy injection."

"BOAT OWNERS ABSOLUTELY MUST KEEP AMMONIA ON BOARD"

Ulusoy explained that he initially thought the fish was a whiting when he first saw it.

Pointing out that the weever fish has spines on top of its head and along the sides of its body that are not very visible, Ulusoy emphasized that those who come into contact with this fish, which can cause permanent injury or even death because it affects the nerves directly, should go to the nearest hospital immediately.

Noting that the dangers that a weever fish can cause are not well known in society, Ulusoy said:

"This fish is usually caught in nets at sea and stays under the sand. I learned this after the incident happened to me, during conversations with older fishermen. This happens when people step on them or they sting their feet or bodies while walking on the sand or swimming, or in cases like ours, where amateur fishermen touch the fish without knowing what it is. Boat owners absolutely must keep ammonia on board. Because there is a certain amount of time it takes to get out of the sea. It needs to be intervened with urgently. At the very least, it needs to be treated with ammonia until you get back from the sea. I learned these things. Such an incident happened to me. We gained experience, we learned. When I went to the hospital, the staff in the emergency room were frankly surprised. They don't encounter this situation very often either."

News Source: 12punto