“What was supposed to be a happy family outing, turns out to be terrifying for my sister.”
That was the way Fadhly Rosli recounted how his 10-year-old sister had been “just briskly walking” at the beach along East Coast Park when a fishing hook got caught on her toe.
In an Instagram post on 10 Aug, it can be seen that a rusty fishing hook appeared to have penetrated into the girl’s big toe. The hook also remains attached to a fishing line.
10-year-old girl steps on fishing hook that caused it to penetrate her right toe. | Image source: Instagram/fadhlyrosli
Fadhly also held up another fishing hook which further highlighted the sharpness of the tip that went into his sister’s flesh.
Explaining in his post that it was not easy to remove the hook, Fadhly said: “any deeper we will need to get the professional help.”
Image source: Instagram/fadhlyrosli
While the family managed to remove the hook without professional help, many of Fadhly’s followers commented that he should have taken his sister to a hospital for proper treatment, in the case of any possible infection due to the rusty hook.
Image source: Instagram screengrab
Image source: Instagram screengrab
Another concerned netizen also highlighted the importance of getting a tetanus jab and that it is “mandatory for such accidents” that could potentially cause tetanus and other infections.
Image source: Instagram screengrab
While rust alone does not cause tetanus, individuals who experience damage to the skin—and are not immunised—could be subjected to tetanus-causing bacteria entering the body and attacking the nervous system.
Commonly known as “lockjaw”, Tetanus can lead to severe muscle spasms which interferes with one’s ability to breathe and can be life-threatening.
Urging Anglers to Exercise Responsibility
Fadhly hopes that by sharing his post, it will help to raise awareness of the incident and hopefully, help prevent others from experiencing what his sister did.
He also urged anglers to exercise responsibility and consider the safety of others.
“To everyone who loves fishing, please be responsible to dispose your fishing hooks appropriately. The beach is a public space visited by kids to adults,” he added.
After hearing about the plight of Fadhly’s sister, an Instagram user who goes by the name Francis Chong apologised on behalf of those fishing along the beach.
Image source: Instagram screengrab
As someone who goes fishing himself, he said that he alongside many others do engage in proper clean-up at the end of their fishing activities.
However, he states that there are still “some irresponsible fish anglers” who exist, without a thought for beach-goers. According to him, they would dump their hooks and fishing line at the beach or near the shore line.
Ultimately as more take towards the outdoors, we want to ensure that our own loved ones are able to enjoy quality time while ensuring that they are safe and sound. And a little effort can help prevent heartaches like what Fadhly’s family has experienced.
You can view his full post here:
Lead image source: Google Maps and Instagram/faidhlyrosli.
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