Another American Charged $5000 in advance for emergency care
Collinsville man survives big bite from barracuda off Cancun coast
Muscle tissues, tendons are torn
1/16/2005
BY BRIAN BRUEGGEMANN
Topics: Security, Laws, Mexico, Money, Americans
The fish are biting down in Cancun, Mexico. Just ask Eric Wiblemo. Wiblemo returned Wednesday from Cancun -- well, most of him did -- after a barracuda mangled his hand.
"The doctor said, from the bite radius, it was like 5 1/2 to 6 feet long. They said the barracuda was probably taller than me," Wiblemo, 19, of Collinsville, said Saturday.
Wiblemo, who works in construction, at a video store and as a lifeguard at the Collinsville YMCA, was swimming at a Cancun beach when the barracuda bit him Tuesday.
"The barracuda was probably chasing fish. There were smaller fish around me," Wiblemo said.
The bite, around the meaty part of his hand, tore tendons, bruised bone, took away muscle tissue and left a gash in his palm. A barracuda has two sets of razor-sharp teeth; one set consists of long, needle-like teeth that fit into the opposing jaw, allowing the fish to close its mouth -- and cut large prey into pieces.
"At first I thought I was getting bit by a shark. I picked up my hand, and flesh is just hanging," he said.
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