This spearfisherman should consider himself lucky he's alive and approaching full recovery after an arrow went through his own head.
According to the South Coast Herald, a man has survived and is in good spirits after impaling his own head with a spearfishing arrow. The speargun went off during an accident and was not fired by the man, but led to a stint in the hospital.
Connie Hallowell, a pastor from Umkomaas, South Africa, was diving in Scottburgh, a coastal town located outside of Durban.
In an interview with East Coast Radio, he explained what led to the incident.
"For me to shoot myself is physically impossible," Hallowell said. "The gun was on the floor lying next to me, there was quite a big wave that surprised me and the gun as well. It knocked the gun against some reef and triggered the trigger, and it shot in my face."
Here's more info from a FOX 10 Phoenix video.
Despite entering his right cheek and exiting through his left temple, the arrow missed Hallowell's brain by inches. There was no serious damage to his eyes, and he is expected to recover.
Aiming for saltwater reef fish with an elastic band-powered speargun isn't for the faint of heart, and anytime you strap on scuba gear and a wetsuit, the risks expectedly rise. Hallowell should consider himself extremely lucky.
Spearing fish isn't as popular in the United States as it is elsewhere, but coastal Florida areas and San Diego, California have developed small communities. Naturally, Hawaii has a dedicated following of spearfishing participation, too.
We've actually seen other accidents in line with this one, like this 2017 incident in Brazil. That man survived as well.
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