Ramsgate RNLI has been launched for a fisherman who has been stung on both hands by a Weever fish.
The All weather boat Esme Anderson attended the fisherman 5 miles out to sea and brought him ashore.
Due to the expected wait time for an ambulance the crew are assessing him and will take him to A&E to be checked over. The man was out day fishing when the two inch fish came up on the line in the mackerel feathers.
In 2016, Lifeguards in the UK dealt with 19,000 minor injuries of which the majority were Weever fish stings.
Weeve fish live in the English Channel. They spend most of the time buried under the sea bed with just its venomous dorsal fin showing above the sandy bottom.
The pain of a ‘sting’ is usually described as excruciating as the spines embed into the human flesh and discharge their venom. The pain is at its most intense for the first two hours when the stung area goes red and swells up and is numb until the following day with irritation and pain that may last for up to two weeks. Sometimes, the spine breaks off and it will cause discomfort until it is removed.
The venom is a type of protein and is heat labile. This means that the only treatment is to put the affected limb in water as hot as the victim can stand without causing scalding. This is meant to bring about rapid and permanent relief.