Fisherman dies from flesh-eating bacteria from cut oysters

A popular Texas fishing boat guide tragically died last month after contracting voracious “flesh-eating” bacteria from a seemingly harmless wound.

Raymond “Skipper” H. Mock, 61, of South Padre Island, was reportedly infected with vibriosis or fish poisoning – a bacterial infection most commonly associated with eating raw or undercooked seafood or exposure of open wounds to water, reported the Houston Chronicle. According to Newsweek, his family and friends believe he probably caught the pest germs from the flesh through an oyster cut.

The fisherman officially died on July 30 of organ failure caused by sepsis, a “life-threatening condition that occurs when the body’s response to infection damages its own tissue,” according to the Mayo Clinic.

“It’s a very invasive disease,” said Dr. Sandra Lozano, a physician with the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Mock had spent most of his life in San Padre, where he had learned fishing from his grandfather, according to his obituary. After graduating from high school, the angling enthusiast started the Catch A Fish Charter Service in 1982, after which he became a renowned figure in the fishing community. During his fishing career, Skipper won several fishing tournaments and helped make Cameron County a fishing mecca.

Mock’s untimely death sparked a wave of support from his friends and former clients.

“Captain Skipper Mock, my very special friend and brother for over thirty years. Considered affectionately as a special member of my family, ”close friend John Dargan wrote on Facebook. “A man of steel with a heart of gold. The best of the best sea captains you could hope to fish with. Rest in peace Skipper. We will remember you and think of you every day.

Another friend, Joseph Farah, added: “Sad to hear that a great guide and captain of South Padre ‘Capt Skipper Mock, has died of complications from a flesh-eating virus he contracted as a result of ‘a cup of oysters.

“It has always been a very serious and very quick matter,” he continued. “Anytime you have a cut or an area that gets infected or becomes painful quickly after being in the waters of the bay, don’t hesitate.”

Indeed, according to reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an infiltrating wound Vibrio vulnificus is fatal in about 1 in 5 people, while others often require intensive care or even limb amputations.