Tiago Rodrigues da Silva, 25, was diving off the coast of Brazil from a fishing boat when he collapsed and died after what was suspected to be a sting from a venomous lionfish
A young father has died in a diving accident after being stung by a venomous lionfish at sea.
Tiago Rodrigues da Silva, 25, was diving from a fishing boat off the coast of the town of Grossos, Brazil, with his father when he collapsed and died on Sunday, May 18. He was reportedly stung three times by a lionfish, a non-native species with venomous spines known to cause extreme pain, paralysis, and even death. His father, who was also on board the boat, told local media his son had been hit by the fish moments before he began to feel unwell.
The grieving dad said: “He said, ‘Dad, I’ve been stung by a lionfish’. I thought he was joking. But he took off his diving suit and lay down. That’s when I saw he was really ill.”
Despite attempts to help him, reports indicate Tiago died on the boat before reaching the shore where medics were waiting to treat him. His body was later taken to the town of Areia Branca where a wake was held in honour of the young man.
Tiago’s family said he had been diving for several years and was experienced in the water. Local authorities have not confirmed the exact cause of death but said it was consistent with lionfish envenomation.
The lionfish, native to the Indo-Pacific region, has spread across parts of the Atlantic and Caribbean where it has become an invasive species. It can also be found in the Gulf of Mexico, with its name derived from the brown, red and white stripes often seen on its body.
According to the UK Government’s Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, the lionfish was the first invasive marine fish to become established off the coast of Florida, with it not being known whether the species was released accidentally or deliberately.
The fish have venomous spines and few natural predators, reportedly growing at a rapid rate and living in a variety of coastal habitats such as coral reefs and mangroves.
The government body said that reports had claimed small native fish in some coral reefs had been reduced by up to 95 per cent as a result of lionfish.
Stings from the fish can cause intense pain and sweating in humans, with respiratory distress, paralysis and death possible in extreme cases.
The intensity and duration of the effects is dependent on how sensitive the victim is to the toxin, as well as how many spines they were stabbed with.
In Brazil, sightings have been increasing, prompting warnings from environmental and fishing groups to avoid certain areas.
The recent death off the country’s coast has shocked the small fishing community in Grossos, a coastal town in Rio Grande do Norte state.