Don't feed the eels

Spam & Cookies-mmm · #1 12 March 2007, 04:07 AM

At least, don't feed them things that are fingershaped, and then run out of food.

Video shows a diver feeding an eel, losing a thumb, and then follows up with toe to thumb transplant results.

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Artemis · #2 12 March 2007, 04:19 AM

He learned his lesson. Don't play with eels.

Is this definitely true?

Spam & Cookies-mmm · #3 12 March 2007, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Artemis

Is this definitely true?

No idea. That's why I stuck it in Critter Country instead of Wild Kingdom.

inkrose115 · #4 12 March 2007, 03:24 PM

Dunno about truthfullness, but I know you can lose fingers feeding one of them nasty little eels. And I know toe to thumb transplants supposedly work quite well.

Barns & No Bull · #5 12 March 2007, 03:46 PM

It looks authentic to me. The brave feeder dude has the same tattoos as the victim dude. Nothing about the video looks faked. There is an odd part right before the bite where the camera pans away to show nothingness. It's probably only a coincidence.

That species is the largest of the moray eels - Giant Moray (Gymnothorax javanicus). This one looks tame because it's regularly fed by divers. It's amazing to see how gentle and delicate they can be about taking only the food. But thumbs are a lot like hotdogs, and obviously "mistakes" can happen.

Nick Theodorakis · #6 12 March 2007, 04:31 PM

They always grow louder when they're about to feed on human flesh!

Nick

Griffin2020 · #7 12 March 2007, 06:06 PM

I have only two quibbles with the video. The guy who'se thumb was bitten off would have made at least SOME noise in response. He does not. And, why is there no blood in the water? I cut my thumb pretty much the same spot, and it bleed like you would not believe. And hurt like the dickens, too...

inkrose115 · #8 12 March 2007, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Griffin2020

I have only two quibbles with the video. The guy who'se thumb was bitten off would have made at least SOME noise in response. He does not. And, why is there no blood in the water? I cut my thumb pretty much the same spot, and it bleed like you would not believe. And hurt like the dickens, too...

Cuts generally tend to hurt more then alrge wounds. Not to mention the shock tends to delay the pain response (or so I've heard).

Barns & No Bull · #9 12 March 2007, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Griffin2020

I have only two quibbles with the video. The guy who'se thumb was bitten off would have made at least SOME noise in response. He does not. And, why is there no blood in the water? I cut my thumb pretty much the same spot, and it bleed like you would not believe. And hurt like the dickens, too...

Whaaaa? The man can clearly be heard screaming multiple times underwater. I think I can see a small blood cloud for a fraction of a second. The eel bit the diver's thumb completely off.

Spam & Cookies-mmm · #10 12 March 2007, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barns & No Bull

Whaaaa? The man can clearly be heard screaming multiple times underwater. I think I can see a small blood cloud for a fraction of a second. The eel bit the diver's thumb completely off.

I heard that too. It's muffled, and bubbly, but that's to be expected of an underwater scream.

Griffin2020 · #11 12 March 2007, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inkrose115

Cuts generally tend to hurt more then alrge wounds. Not to mention the shock tends to delay the pain response (or so I've heard).

TMI--Warning space for graphic injury description:

I need to clarify. By cut, I mean that I almost amputated my thumb with a Skilsaw (handheld rotary saw) The only thing that was holding my thumb on was the skin on the palm of my hand, and one tendon. I would call that a large injury (as close to what happened to the guy in the video as you can get...) As far as sensation goes, there was a burst of pain, enough to cause a loud reaction, then it faded for 10-15 minutes as shock set in, then a burning, throbbing set in and built until the ER deadened it with good drugs.

If the diver does respond loudly, I did not hear it. When they slow down the audio and replay it, I did not hear it, and saw no blood.

The video may be real, I am not saying it is not, but that is my take...

inkrose115 · #12 12 March 2007, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Griffin2020

TMI--Warning space for graphic injury description:

I need to clarify. By cut, I mean that I almost amputated my thumb with a Skilsaw (handheld rotary saw) The only thing that was holding my thumb on was the skin on the palm of my hand, and one tendon. I would call that a large injury (as close to what happened to the guy in the video as you can get...) As far as sensation goes, there was a burst of pain, enough to cause a loud reaction, then it faded for 10-15 minutes as shock set in, then a burning, throbbing set in and built until the ER deadened it with good drugs.

If the diver does respond loudly, I did not hear it. When they slow down the audio and replay it, I did not hear it, and saw no blood.

The video may be real, I am not saying it is not, but that is my take...

Poor you!

Barns & No Bull · #13 12 March 2007, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Griffin2020

If the diver does respond loudly, I did not hear it. When they slow down the audio and replay it, I did not hear it, and saw no blood. The video may be real, I am not saying it is not, but that is my take...

Here is my take...

At 3:19 the bite happens and we can clearly hear him scream.
At 3:25 you can see a "puff" around his hand that is either blood, or hotdog juice or both.
At 3:28 you hear a "pop" which is supposed to be the thumb coming off. About 1/2 second later, you hear another clear short scream.

The eel has a hotdog and the thumb in its mouth at the same time.

Artemis · #14 13 March 2007, 03:28 AM

Just popping in to post that I definitely heard a scream, as well. I didn't hear it in the slow down version, but the first time around, I did.

TuFurg · #15 13 March 2007, 09:22 PM

Also heard the muffled screams quite clearly. As for the cloud, I'd say it's definately hot dog juice and at the time we see the eel with the thumb in it's mouthand the wounds aren't that severe so that we'd see alot of blood. The cameraman didn't pan back after the thumb came off so we can't say what was in the water at that time.