Displaying items by tag: Craig Butler

20th February 2014

Spider Bite Puts Irish Surfer In The Hospital

#Surfing - Champion Irish surfer Craig Butler was forced to cut a recent African waveriding trip short after falling victim to a spider bite.

As the Irish Independent reports, 20-year-old Butler received a bite from a false widow spider that left him dizzy and nauseated within a matter of hours.

Though not normally fatal, bites from these venomous arachnids - which are increasingly common in our more northern climes - can become infected and lead to serious complications.

That's the case with Butler, who returned to Ireland with a hugely swollen foot that prompted his concerned GP to refer him immediately to hospital.

As of yesterday morning, the multi-time Irish surfing champion from Tramore had been on a trolley at Waterford Regional Hospital for some hours awaiting a bed - and his appointment under the surgeon's knife.

It's not the first time he's dealt with a serious infection, after skipping treatment for a leg wound while surfing in France two years ago.

The Irish Independent has more on the story HERE.

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Forty Foot Swimming Spot on Dublin Bay

The 'Forty Foot' is a rocky outcrop located at the southern tip of Dublin Bay at Sandycove, County Dublin from which people have been swimming in the Irish Sea all year round for 300 years or more. It is popular because it is one of few spots between Dublin city and Greystones in County Wicklow that allows for swimming at all stages of the tide, subject to the sea state.

Forty Foot History

Traditionally, the bathing spot was exclusively a men's bathing spot and the gentlemen's swimming club was established to help conserve the area.

Owing to its relative isolation and gender-specific nature it became a popular spot for nudists, but in the 1970s, during the women's liberation movement, a group of female equal-rights activists plunged into the waters and now it is also open to everyone and it is in the control of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

Many people believe that swimming in extremely cold water is healthy and good for the immune system.

Is it safe to swim at the Forty Foot?

The Forty-Foot is a great place to swim because there is always enough water to get a dip but like all sea swimming, there are always hazards you need to be aware of. For example, a lot of people like to dive into to the pool at the Forty-foot but there are submerged rocks that can be hazardous especially at low water. The Council have erected signs to warn people of the underwater dangers. Other hazards include slippy granite cut stone steps that can often be covered with seaweed and of course marine wildlife including jellyfish that make their presence felt in the summer months as do an inquisitive nearby Sandycove seal colony.