A Washington state woman landed in the emergency room after she posed with a venomous octopus on her face to win a photo competition, according to a report.
Jamie Bisceglia said she thought the risky photo op might win her a prize at a fishing derby Friday in Tacoma Narrows, news station KIRO reported.
“It was a photo contest in the derby. So, crazy me, hindsight now and looking back, I probably made a big mistake,” Bisceglia said.
With her grin wide and arms outstretched, Bisceglia posed with the small octopus, which hooked its tentacles on her face.
But during the photo shoot, she was bitten twice by the sea creature, which contains poisonous venom.
“It was a really intense pain when it went inside and it just bled, dripping blood for a long time,” Bisceglia told the news station.
For two days, she tried to push through the pain and swelling, but ultimately went to the hospital for treatment.
“I’m still in pain,” she said. “I’m on three different antibiotics. This can come and go, the swelling, for months, they say.”
Bisceglia, however, said she learned an important lesson about handling a live octopus.
“This was not a good idea,” Bisceglia told KIRO. “I will never do it again.”