Jackie Paxman speared by a Stingray

Frank  and I had arranged to take Gerry de Burgh and her boy friend out diving,   The day didn't start out to well, when the boy friend wanted to bring a cartoon of grog out in the boat, a thing Frank was very vocally against.   Anyway the beer was left behind.  

 

We took off towards Carnac Island, and stopped to fish behind the island a spot where we could find shells and plenty of Fish.  It was one of my favourite places and Frank new I loved it.  We anchored out from the reef, and Gerry and I swam in, I must admit it was a bit rough, but we found fish to shoot.

 

Gerry stuck her head up and asked if I could take a fish of her spear, it was a baby ray, who was objecting strongly to having a spear through him. I got my knife out and stabbed him where I thought it would kill him, it didn't and he stuck his spear through the side of my hand.   The pain was intense, and I nearly fainted.   Frank helped me back in the boat, looked at my hand and said I was not to go back in the water, so he then jumped in with the words, “I’m not going home without a fish!”  

 

After a while Gerry's boyfriend started to get sea sick, and then he started to cry,  I called to Frank and asked him to come back to the boat, He had about 4 fish and was not inclined to want to. By this time my hand was very swollen, when he came to the side of the boat, he took a look at it, and said how did it feel, my reply was "bloody awful" Frank said just one more fish darling, I said O.K.  

 

Gerry and Frank came back to the boat together, and we were about to pull anchor, when a lot of stupid mistakes were made.  Frank got to the front of the boat to pull up the anchor, and I tried to steer the boat the way he wanted it. But I made the mistake of knocking Frank off the front of the boat, Gerry took over trying to pull up the anchor, while Frank was getting in the boat, but she did not know what to do, and fell overboard and hit her head, nearly knocking herself out.  I went back in the water, and dragged her back to the boat, with Frank's help we got her in. Then I took the steering wheel, and Frank at last managed to get the anchor up. Frank wanted to still go diving, but the boy friend started to cry again, and begged to be taken to shore.

 

So ended a miserable day spearfishing. When I got home my hand was so swollen I couldn't get my wetsuit off.  I will never again try to take a spear out of a ray, if someone shot one then they will have to take it out.  

 

Frank's only comment was why the heck did I let the bloody thing stick its spear in me!