Beware the Two Ton Leaping Sunfish
Sailing, like any sport that involves exposure to the elements, can be hazardous to your health. We routinely hear stories of people being washed overboard by waves, hit in the head with a boom, threatened by sharks, struck by lightning, run over by the dinghy...so this story in the Aussie Age should provide a bit of levity in what otherwise is a grim review of the dangers at sea. According to the article, ICHI Ban skipper Matt Allen was smacked in the face by a flying fish during last year's Rolex Trophy Series. And by the way, sunfish, which can weigh up to 5000 pounds will cause serious damage...collisions are common. Said Allen, "All of a sudden, I was just laid flat on the deck. I didn't see anything coming at me...I opened my eyes and there was this enormous flying fish. It had jumped straight out of the water and hit me. There was blood everywhere but fortunately most of it was his."
2 comments:
Hi Zephyr. A couple of days ago a woman sitting on the bow of a runabout was critically injured by a bottle-nosed dolphin that leapt onto the boat - severe head and chest injuries. I'm still waiting to hear whether or not the boat was speeding amongst a huge school of dolphins that were putting on a display for the tourists off the east coast of the Coromandel peninsula New Zealand.
Wow! Thanks for writing and please let me know if you come across more detail. Never mind the sharks...just be sure to duck the leaping marine life!
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