Warning after local woman stung by potentially lethal fish on Buncrana beach
'Weeverfish are normally buried in the sand with just their venomous black dorsal fin showing above the surface'
Donegal beachgoers are being urged to take extra care after a local woman was injured following a nasty sting by a venomous and dangerous weeverfish.
The woman had been swimming at Linsfort Beach, just outside Buncrana, when the painful incident occurred.
Her foot immediately began to swell up after she came into contact with the reptilian-looking fish.
The poison was so powerful that the victim burned her hands in an attempt to remove the stinger.
In rare cases, people can die from severe anaphylactic shock as a consequence of a complication from a weeverfish sting.
Most human stings are inflicted by the ‘lesser weever’, which habitually remains buried in sandy areas of shallow water and is more likely to come into contact with bathers than other species.
The vast majority of injuries occur to the foot and are the result of unknowingly stepping on buried fish.
The National Poisons Information Centre of Ireland recently issued a warning that weeverfish were present in Donegal – and Buncrana County Councillor Jack Murray is urging people to be aware of the potential dangers.
“Many people wouldn’t be aware of weeverfish or the dangers they pose, but I would ask people to heed the advice of the National Poisons Information Centre of Ireland and exercise caution.”
The Sinn Fein Cllr says footwear is often the best defence against the dangers that weeverfish pose.
“Weeverfish are normally buried in the sand with just their venomous black dorsal fin showing above the surface.”
“People should continue to enjoy our beautiful beaches, but the advice is to wear rubber-soled shoes or flip-flops while walking on the sand.”
“Vulnerable people, and those with weakened immune systems, should be particularly careful,” Cllr Murray added.