Here's what the Scottish Sunday Mail said about Brian's jellyfish incident the other week

(what planet do these journalists live on!)

 

ATTACK OF THE15-FOOT JELLYFISH

A DIVER told yesterday how he survived an attack by a shoal of deadly jellyfish 100ft under the waves.

Brian Watson, 51, even swallowed part of a 15ft tentacle after one of the fish clamped on to his face as he struggled to reconnect his air supply.

Worried pals managed to haul him to the surface where he was found to be suffering from anaphylactic shock - a potentially-fatal allergic reaction brought on by the jellyfish stings.

Yesterday, at home in Leeds, council worker Brian relived the encounter with a shoal of Lion's Mane jellyfish off Ailsa Craig on the Firth of Clyde as he dived for treasure with seven pals.

The experienced diver said: "I was changing my mouthpiece to put more oxygen in when I saw a large Lion's Mane jelly floating towards us - heading in my buddy's way. I pushed my mate out of line and we both thought we were clear, but I got my leg caught in the line which goes to the surface.

"I turned around to get clear and came face to face with the tentacles from another jelly. I didn't realise that the tentacles had wrapped themselves around the mouthpiece."

Blinded by tears and in agony, he signalled to his friends to raise him to the surface.When Brian was eventually brought up to the dive boat, Rachael Claire, shocked colleagues saw a jellyfish still clamped on to his face and searing stings on his neck and in his mouth.

They also thought he was suffering from the bends - a potentially-lethal condition brought on by surfacing too quickly. Rachael Claire's skipper Tony Wass called the coastguard who set up a radio-telephone link to a specialist unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for urgent medical advice.

A Royal Navy Sea King helicopter was scrambled from HMS Gannet at Prestwick to airlift the stricken diver directly to the decompression chamber on the island of Cumbrae.

He was then taken to Inverclyde Hospital in Greenock, where his condition was originally described as serious.

Tony Wass and dive team leader Dave Berry praised the coastguard and the crew from HMS Gannet. Mr Wass said: "Make no mistake, if this had happened in any other country that man could have been dead.

"These jellyfish stings can cause severe shock and people can be killed."

A coastguard spokesman said: "The jellyfish have 15ft translucent tentacles which are invisible under water.

"Mr Watson had severe stomach pains and other signs of decompression sickness.

"But this may have been due to swallowing parts of the tentacles."

He also warned people to stay away from jellyfish - even dead ones washed up on beaches - as their tentacles can separate from their bodies and can still give a nasty sting.

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Don't worry, he's as fit as a fiddle and suffered no ill effects !