Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: troutbreath on September 13, 2006, 11:00:23 AM

Title: Fish kills spear-fishing diver
Post by: troutbreath on September 13, 2006, 11:00:23 AM
MIAMI (Reuters) - A Florida diver shot a large grouper with a spear gun then apparently drowned when the fish sped into a hole, entangling the man in the line attached to the spear, investigators said Monday.

 
 
The 42-year-old man, whose name was withheld, was free-diving in about 25 feet of water off the lower Florida Keys Saturday and speared a Goliath Grouper, Monroe County Sheriff's Detective Mark Coleman said.

"It looks like the fish wrapped the line attached to the spear around the victim's wrist. The fish then went into a hole in a coral rock, effectively pinning the man to the bottom of the ocean," Coleman said in a news release.

Police divers found the speared fish tightly wedged into the hole, with the man's body still tangled in the line, a sheriff's spokeswoman said.

Goliath Grouper are the largest members of the sea bass family and can weigh hundreds of pounds.

Title: Re: Fish kills spear-fishing diver
Post by: dennisK on September 13, 2006, 11:40:10 AM
Fishing is supposed to be relaxing, unfortunate accident.
Title: Re: Fish kills spear-fishing diver
Post by: GoldHammeredCroc on September 13, 2006, 11:45:59 AM
Not a fan of that spear-fishing stuff, especially for those big slow growing fishes that are important for reef health and future big fish stocks.  Still, an unfortunate incident.
Title: Re: Fish kills spear-fishing diver
Post by: Xgolfman on September 13, 2006, 04:15:05 PM
Thats why you always carry a diving knife!!
Title: Re: Fish kills spear-fishing diver
Post by: Sam Salmon on September 13, 2006, 04:45:18 PM
I've been told by out-of-town divers that it's hard to even buy a spear/harpoon around Vancouver-area dive shops don't approve/don't carry the product .
All to the good I'd say.

Too bad about the dead man but as mentioned WTH was his knife/knives?
Title: Re: Fish kills spear-fishing diver
Post by: liketofish on September 13, 2006, 06:43:52 PM
Kind of remind me of Steve Irwin incident.  Don't fool around with those monsters.
Title: Re: Fish kills spear-fishing diver
Post by: kellya on September 13, 2006, 07:39:04 PM
I spear fish its pretty sweet. You guys sholdnt diss it before you understand it.  Takes more skill than fishing around here(bottom fish) . Not enough fish species to keep it interesting though. I only spearfishing when free diving not when scuba diving and i use a sling always leave the gun at home. Got some good sized greenling and rockfish its more selective and eat what you catch. First time i went out i hit the first thing i saw after that i barely took anything mostly just free dived. Doesnt compare to fishing though not close.