blake
Life Member
Rural Nauvoo woman bitten by fish in Mississippi River
Olexandra Courtney, 59, of rural Nauvoo, Ill., was swimming in the Mississippi River about two miles south of Fort Madison recently when she was bitten twice on the right leg by an unknown fish. The bites measured approximately 3 1/2 inches across.
Courtney was swimming with her husband Dr. David Courtney, at about 7 p.m. The bites occurred in shallow water as she was approaching the shore.
At first, she thought that her husband had bumped into her, but she soon realized that her husband was nowhere close to her as she felt the painful bites. The first bite was on her upper right thigh and the second bite was on her right calf. She did not know what kind of fish was responsible for the bites.
“The fish was very powerful and had scales,” she said.
As the bites occurred, she began to scream and pushed the fish away. As she left the water, she realized she was bruised and bleeding. The wounds did not require stitches – just cleaning and antiseptics.
Her husband reported the incident to the Illinois Department of Conservation. The official whom he talked to never had taken a report like this. They ask him if his wife was wearing any jewelry. She was wearing a bracelet but no jewelry on the leg that was bitten.
The official speculated it was a pike or muskellunge.
When asked if she would ever swim in the river again, she replied, “Yes, but I will be more aware when approaching the shallow water.”
Olexandra Courtney, 59, of rural Nauvoo, Ill., was swimming in the Mississippi River about two miles south of Fort Madison recently when she was bitten twice on the right leg by an unknown fish. The bites measured approximately 3 1/2 inches across.
Courtney was swimming with her husband Dr. David Courtney, at about 7 p.m. The bites occurred in shallow water as she was approaching the shore.
At first, she thought that her husband had bumped into her, but she soon realized that her husband was nowhere close to her as she felt the painful bites. The first bite was on her upper right thigh and the second bite was on her right calf. She did not know what kind of fish was responsible for the bites.
“The fish was very powerful and had scales,” she said.
As the bites occurred, she began to scream and pushed the fish away. As she left the water, she realized she was bruised and bleeding. The wounds did not require stitches – just cleaning and antiseptics.
Her husband reported the incident to the Illinois Department of Conservation. The official whom he talked to never had taken a report like this. They ask him if his wife was wearing any jewelry. She was wearing a bracelet but no jewelry on the leg that was bitten.
The official speculated it was a pike or muskellunge.
When asked if she would ever swim in the river again, she replied, “Yes, but I will be more aware when approaching the shallow water.”
