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speargun accidents
- Thread starteruvjagt
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Thread Status: Hello
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A friend of mine shot himself in the calf when we were kids - no serious injury...
The accidents where the wishbones cut the fingers are the most common... All my fingers have scars...
I know of an accident where one idiot was pulling the line with his finger and said goodbye to the top part of it when fired...
Now there are some specific injuries, like bruised chest when chestloading. And another really specific when young children start spearfishing and chestloading - it may deform the chest bone. I am the example for that...
Cheers
The accidents where the wishbones cut the fingers are the most common... All my fingers have scars...
I know of an accident where one idiot was pulling the line with his finger and said goodbye to the top part of it when fired...
Now there are some specific injuries, like bruised chest when chestloading. And another really specific when young children start spearfishing and chestloading - it may deform the chest bone. I am the example for that...
Cheers
Spear gun victim 'lucky to be alive'
January 05 2006 at 08:33AM By Anél Powell
A mere 2cm is all that saved Judian Bruk from fatally wounding himself in a speargun accident last month.
Surgeons said the 33-year-old from Marina da Gama was "extremely lucky" that the spear missed his heart by 2cm. If it had been any closer, the young father might not have survived the freak accident.
Bruk was discharged from hospital on Wednesday, less than two weeks after he accidentally fired his speargun at his chest while he was diving at Buffels Bay on December 22.
</SPAN>The spear shaft was between 25 and 30cm long
As Bruk was holding the gun close to his body, the spear shot straight into his right side below his nipple.
Bruk was treated on the scene by emergency services before he was airlifted to Groote Schuur Hospital for emergency surgery.
Paramedics battled to get the patient into the AMS helicopter because of the spear protruding from his chest.
The extended piece first had to be cut off before Bruk could be placed in the helicopter.
According to trauma surgeon Neil Swart, the spear entered Bruk's chest on the right, where it split his pectoral muscle and shattered a rib before perforating his lung, diaphragm and the left lobe of his liver.
'It was very difficult to get the barb out'Swart estimated that the spear shaft embedded between Bruk's heart, lungs and liver was between 25 and 30cm long.
It took the surgical team at Groote Schuur two hours to remove the spear shaft from Bruk's body. Swart said they also performed a colonoscopy to remove the barbed tip of the spear.
"It was very difficult to get the barb out," said Swart, who explained that the tip was designed to open up inside its target, usually a fish. Surgeons had to remove the 5cm barb without damaging Bruk's internal organs.
Bruk's chest also had to be "washed out" to prevent the "filthy" spear from causing infection or septicaemia.
As the spear damaged nerves connected to his diaphragm, Bruk was unable to breathe without a ventilator.
Bruk's shocked parents refused to have their family's name published until they were certain their son would recover from his injuries.
Heavily sedated and unable to talk because of a nasal tube, Bruk could only communicate with his family via notes.
His mother, Tali, said her son kept writing notes assuring his family that he was "OK".
Bruk, who until now has not spoken to the media, said: "I have no recollections of the first few days after the accident because I was heavily sedated."
After surgery, Bruk spent several days recovering at the UCT Hospital in Observatory.
Swart said Bruk's swift recovery had been remarkable.
"Other than shortness of breath when he exerts himself, he has no other injuries."
Bruk, who was in high spirits about returning home said: "I am amazed at how quickly I've recovered, especially if I think of how ill I was 10 days ago."
Swart said: "I am confident that (Bruk) will be able to dive again and lead a completely normal life."
Swart said he had given the remaining piece of spear removed from Bruk's body to Bruk's father - perhaps as a reminder of how lucky his son is to be alive.
January 05 2006 at 08:33AM By Anél Powell
A mere 2cm is all that saved Judian Bruk from fatally wounding himself in a speargun accident last month.
Surgeons said the 33-year-old from Marina da Gama was "extremely lucky" that the spear missed his heart by 2cm. If it had been any closer, the young father might not have survived the freak accident.
Bruk was discharged from hospital on Wednesday, less than two weeks after he accidentally fired his speargun at his chest while he was diving at Buffels Bay on December 22.
</SPAN>The spear shaft was between 25 and 30cm long
As Bruk was holding the gun close to his body, the spear shot straight into his right side below his nipple.
Bruk was treated on the scene by emergency services before he was airlifted to Groote Schuur Hospital for emergency surgery.
Paramedics battled to get the patient into the AMS helicopter because of the spear protruding from his chest.
The extended piece first had to be cut off before Bruk could be placed in the helicopter.
According to trauma surgeon Neil Swart, the spear entered Bruk's chest on the right, where it split his pectoral muscle and shattered a rib before perforating his lung, diaphragm and the left lobe of his liver.
'It was very difficult to get the barb out'Swart estimated that the spear shaft embedded between Bruk's heart, lungs and liver was between 25 and 30cm long.
It took the surgical team at Groote Schuur two hours to remove the spear shaft from Bruk's body. Swart said they also performed a colonoscopy to remove the barbed tip of the spear.
"It was very difficult to get the barb out," said Swart, who explained that the tip was designed to open up inside its target, usually a fish. Surgeons had to remove the 5cm barb without damaging Bruk's internal organs.
Bruk's chest also had to be "washed out" to prevent the "filthy" spear from causing infection or septicaemia.
As the spear damaged nerves connected to his diaphragm, Bruk was unable to breathe without a ventilator.
Bruk's shocked parents refused to have their family's name published until they were certain their son would recover from his injuries.
Heavily sedated and unable to talk because of a nasal tube, Bruk could only communicate with his family via notes.
His mother, Tali, said her son kept writing notes assuring his family that he was "OK".
Bruk, who until now has not spoken to the media, said: "I have no recollections of the first few days after the accident because I was heavily sedated."
After surgery, Bruk spent several days recovering at the UCT Hospital in Observatory.
Swart said Bruk's swift recovery had been remarkable.
"Other than shortness of breath when he exerts himself, he has no other injuries."
Bruk, who was in high spirits about returning home said: "I am amazed at how quickly I've recovered, especially if I think of how ill I was 10 days ago."
Swart said: "I am confident that (Bruk) will be able to dive again and lead a completely normal life."
Swart said he had given the remaining piece of spear removed from Bruk's body to Bruk's father - perhaps as a reminder of how lucky his son is to be alive.
- This article was originally published on page 6 of Cape Times on January 05, 2006
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When I worked in a dive shop about 15 years ago, I saw pictures of two seperate divers who had been shot in the face. It was my impression that both died of their wounds. Although I have no real proof of this. This was a little bit before photoshop came around. The pictures were copies of the picture. But after working as a paramedic for ten years in Oakland, California. The wounds looked very real to me.
Jez these stories are horrific :yack (strangely, I become more squeamish the older I get). I wonder, are shorter guns more dangerous than longer ones...at least for self wounding? 2 accidents mentioned above involve very short guns ... it seems like it would be quite hard to point a longer gun (say 90cm+) at yourself.
I was thinking of getting a shorter gun... but I am going off the idea!
I was thinking of getting a shorter gun... but I am going off the idea!
Accidents sometimes turn to happy end, or comic ending. Once upon a time in my hometown an expert spearo called Robertino by accident shot himself in the stomach with a Ministen, but being very fat his huge belly saved his life. He somehow managed to get back to the beach, where there was a just-married couple taking fotographs after the wedding.
Now in their album they still have a photo with the bride smiling, the husband smiling and, behind them, a big fat man in wetsuit with an arrow in his stomach...
PS: Robertino survived and is still on saddle
Now in their album they still have a photo with the bride smiling, the husband smiling and, behind them, a big fat man in wetsuit with an arrow in his stomach...
PS: Robertino survived and is still on saddle
What provides the energy to pneumatics ... is it the force with which you push the spear into the end of the gun (like a toy dart gun)? I could see that being a little scary. Is it possible to only half load the gun, i.e. partially insert the spear -- so that it has some stored energy in the spring/air pressure but the spear has not engaged with the trigger -- and then accidently release the spear?Fondueset said:
Die Burger (local paper) reported earlier that paramedics came across Bruk, who was injured while showing bystanders how the speargun worked.:crutch
(from News24.com)
That's from fooling around it seems.
I know these two spearo's, the one shot the other in the arm through a cave.
They had to remove the spear underwater, luckely the barb did not go though his arm.
(from News24.com)
That's from fooling around it seems.
I know these two spearo's, the one shot the other in the arm through a cave.
They had to remove the spear underwater, luckely the barb did not go though his arm.
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Re: hi
http://translate.google.com/transla...raneocerebrales+por+Arp%C3%B3n&hl=en&lr=&sa=G
Woh..nasty. Here is a link to an English translation of the same page:neshamah said:
http://translate.google.com/transla...raneocerebrales+por+Arp%C3%B3n&hl=en&lr=&sa=G
Mr X
Pneumatics are pressurised with a pump, then when you push the spear in it further pressurises the air when you release the spear it is propelled by the air.
If you did slip while loading a pneumatic it could possibly injure you, although some of the better guns have a power regulator which means that you can load on low power which is easy and switch to high power once the spear is loaded.
Pneumatics are pressurised with a pump, then when you push the spear in it further pressurises the air when you release the spear it is propelled by the air.
If you did slip while loading a pneumatic it could possibly injure you, although some of the better guns have a power regulator which means that you can load on low power which is easy and switch to high power once the spear is loaded.
O
omega3
Guest
Mr. X said:
I have 2 types of pneumatic gun.
Both derive their power from compressed air. Typically and most common is the one described above where a slide bolt propells the shaft.
But I have a wierd one I got in Ukraine where there is no slide and it only works in water. It is loaded the same as any other and is really easy to load(the easiest I`ve ever tried) When the shaft(sealed) is pushed back in the tube it compresses the tubes water into a rubber sleeve at the base of the tube and it is the compressed air squeezing the water in the sleeve that propels the shaft.
I had that gun apart many times trying to figure out why it wouldn`t work when I bought it since I couldn`t understand the Russian instructions. In the end I got an inkling that it only worked in water so I filled the tube from the bath in the hotel I was staying in and loaded it which required next to no effort so I didn`t think there would be any power. To discharge it safely and thinking it would be pathetic I fired it from a 5/6 feet at an upturned side table which it split in half and the shaft then knocked the corner off an old cast iron radiator. OOps ...I was chuffed the gun worked and left the hotel the next day wallet a bit lighter.
Just bought a Mamba thinking it would be the same power system but it isn`t....its the slide type....nice though!
Back to accidents....Was wishing my father a prosperous new year about a week ago and he was telling me of two brothers in Malawi recently....one shot the other in the head accidently...dead outright, but as mentioned previously third hand info etc.
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[Putting the horrific Malawi incident to the back of my mind for the minute...] I wonder if that is the same speargun that was being sold on ebay.com (i.e. US site) early last year? They were selling some short but powerful Russian made pneumatic spearguns (possibly ex-Military?). I figured they were likely to be either poorly made rubbish or something really robust, powerful & special. Either way, it didn't seem like the ideal beginner gun!omega3 said:
I've heard the Russian pneumos on ebay are crap. There was an article here awhile back about a new pneumatic design that works off the water column. You could load it progressively by sort of pumping the shaft - this would push the water column through a one-way valve into the guns housing which contained a piston that, I believe, slid forward around the barrel to compress the air.
Something like that anyway.
My old nemrod pnuematic had very very scarey trigger mech. It consistend of a rod that ran under the barrel to a latch at the muzzle that trapped a ring on the shaft. You could fire it just by squeezing that rod against the barrel - or bumping it.
Something like that anyway.
My old nemrod pnuematic had very very scarey trigger mech. It consistend of a rod that ran under the barrel to a latch at the muzzle that trapped a ring on the shaft. You could fire it just by squeezing that rod against the barrel - or bumping it.
O
omega3
Guest
Mr. X said:
The gun in question was very well made in green anodised aluminium. Looked like most pneumatics shape wise ie wasn`t mid handled(the other one I got there was) I am trying to get my father to post it too me at the mo as I left it and the other one in Africa in 1995. If he ever gets round to it I will post a pic. though I am sure all rubber will have perished by now but should be easily fixed. I would get another one too as at the time they cost 5 000 000 coupons each brand new.....£5
I will also ask to see if he has any more info on the horrible Malawi accident for this topic
We've few accidents with spearguns, even a fatal one many years ago: 99% are related to keeping the gun loaded out of water, in the boat. The weirdest accident happened a year ago with a diver I know.
He spent like an hour hunting but didn't find anything interesting, except for some octopi. He hooked them and stringed them. Back to the boat. As he has a small aluminium boat, before boaring it he took off the belt and the stringer and put them inside the boat. Then, he carefully put his loaded gun:naughty inside, leaning against the gunwhale, pointing upwards. He proceeded to board the boat. While sitting on the gunwhale getting his mask off etc., an octopus (even stringed) slid over the gun and squeezed the trigger!!!! The shaft hit him in the ass and got stuck in the iliac bone.
His buddy took him to the ER with shaft sticking out of his ass, where it was surgically removed. He recovered and got back diving 3 months later, but never put his loaded gun in the boat again
He spent like an hour hunting but didn't find anything interesting, except for some octopi. He hooked them and stringed them. Back to the boat. As he has a small aluminium boat, before boaring it he took off the belt and the stringer and put them inside the boat. Then, he carefully put his loaded gun:naughty inside, leaning against the gunwhale, pointing upwards. He proceeded to board the boat. While sitting on the gunwhale getting his mask off etc., an octopus (even stringed) slid over the gun and squeezed the trigger!!!! The shaft hit him in the ass and got stuck in the iliac bone.
His buddy took him to the ER with shaft sticking out of his ass, where it was surgically removed. He recovered and got back diving 3 months later, but never put his loaded gun in the boat again