What started off as an ordinary day fishing turned into a life-threatening situation for Kelly Kohen Blomberg.
The woman was surf fishing in the Gulf of Mexico near Grand Isle, LA, when she felt her foot land in the mouth of something. Blood started gushing out, she recalled to New Orleans' WDSU.
Blomberg went to the hospital the following day and was prescribed antibiotics. But a week later, her wound wasn't any better.
As it turns out, Blomberg contracted a potentially fatal flesh-eating bacteria from the water called vibrio vulnificus. (It's a similar condition that almost took the life of a 14-year-old boy.)
"If you have an open wound and you go into the saltwater off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf, you can be exposed to this bacteria. The other way is by eating raw oysters," said Dr. Obinna Nnedu at Ochsner Medical Center in Jefferson, LA.
This type of bacteria normally spreads between four to six hours. Symptoms include redness, swelling, and high fever.
Blomberg, who has undergone surgery on her foot, is now cautioning other beachgoers.
"I've always been in a boat whenever I went fishing, but if you are going to do surf fishing, wear shoes," she said. "Go to the hospital as soon as you can if anything is starting to happen."
Warning: The video contains graphic images of the wound.
Watch below, and please SHARE to help protect others from this terrifying bacteria!
