Holiday nightmare after Brit's 'itchy eye' turned out to be a LEECH on his eyeball
A British travel agent's trip to try out a holiday quickly became a 'nightmare' when he found a leech sucking on his eyeball.
Tony Exall was on a jungle tour near West Papua, Indonesia, on May 22 when his left eye began to irritate him.
The 58-year-old blamed it on sweat or a tiny bug but two hours later a fellow visitor spotted that he actually had a leech on his eyeball.
A horrifying photo shows Tony's bloodshot eye with the small black bloodsucker latched to the white area called the sclera.
Tony grew concerned it might wriggle its way behind his eye so ended his trip early to find medical help.
After six hours and visits to two hospitals a doctor extracted the leech using tweezers - despite the creature pulling on Tony's eyeball tissue in an attempt to hang on.
Tony, who owns travel company Philippine Dive Holidays, was in Indonesia to try out locations for customers when he decided to take a break for a photography trip.
The travel agent avoided catching an infection and achieved his aim of snapping a rare king bird-of-paradise minutes before the incident.
He posted the video to Facebook where users described it as the 'stuff nightmares are made of' and like 'something from a horror movie'.
Tony, from Oxted, Surrey, said: 'I came over here to investigate different places to work with in Indonesia so I thought, while I'm here, I want to do a bit of bird snapping.
'We were waiting for the bird to turn up and I was sweating buckets.
'I could feel something in my eye but I just thought it was a bug. I tried to get rid of it but couldn't so I tried to ignore it.
'There were leeches everywhere and I must have used the back of my hand to wipe the sweat so I essentially wiped it into my eye.
'A couple hours later we went to move on to somewhere else and one of my spotters pointed out the leech in my eye.
'My biggest concern was that it would get round the back of my eye. He tried to pull it out with his fingers.
'He was pinching my eyeball to get it out but the leech was fixed onto my eyeball. I tried rubbing it but I couldn't get it out.'
Tony had trekked two hours through the jungle near Malagufuk, West Papua, to reach an area known for king bird-of-paradise sightings.
After having the leech pulled from his eye, Tony was prescribed eye drops and antibiotics to make sure he didn't develop an infection.
Tony said: 'We went to two hospitals to find someone that knew something about eyes.
'At first he tried to remove it and that was quite sore because a leech grabs hold of something and starts to suck the blood.
'He started to gently pull the leech which was quite sore as it was something pulling on my eyeball.
'My next concern was how do you get it off my eye without leaving anything behind.
'You hear these stories about tropical diseases and infections and having one in your eye is not the best place to have one.
'The doctor then squirted some anaesthetic drops onto my eye, got some tweezers and pop, off it came.
When Tony posted the pictures showing the leech attached to his eyeball to Facebook, he received a number of comments from horrified and concerned social media users
'The tissue of my eye was being pulled. I have never had that sensation before.'
After sharing the 'squeamish' photos of his eye on Facebook, freaked-out users were quick to comment on his bizarre experience.
One user said: 'I'm not usually squeamish but that is stuff from horror movies! Hope everything is okay now.'
Another added: 'Omg you need a trigger warning on this post. Sounds awful, hope you recover quickly.'
A third said: 'Stuff nightmares are made of.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Summer holiday tragedy as mother put in induced coma after suffering 'potentially life-altering' accident on holiday with pals
A mother was put in an induced coma after suffering a 'potentially life-altering' accident while on holiday with friends. Ria Jade Doherty underwent two major surgeries after sustaining 'severe' injuries to her neck and back, according to a close pal. A fundraiser has been set up to help the young mother-of-one and her family after Ms Doherty went abroad without travel insurance. She was placed in an induced coma which she is fortunately now out of, according to the GoFundMe page. Her family are said to have flown overseas to be with the mother while she fights for her life in hospital. Casileigh Jones, who set up the fundraiser, said: 'Our beautiful Ria has suffered a tragic and potentially life-altering accident while on holiday. 'The road to recovery will be incredibly long and difficult, but she is a fighter - and she has every reason to keep fighting. Ria is a loving mother to her three-year-old son, who needs her strong, healthy, and home again.' Do YOU know what happened? Email Ms Jones added: 'Please keep Ria in your thoughts and prayers. We are all holding onto hope that she will recover as quick as possible and return home to the people who love her most. 'Ria is currently in an induced coma and is expected to remain so for approximately two weeks. All we can do is pray.' The friend said the money from the fundraiser will go towards Ms Doherty's medical costs, extended stays abroad by her family, and future medical requirements. 'The main priority is to ger Ria back to the UK and start her rehabilitation, and for this a medical plan is needed,' Ms Jones said. The GoFundMe setup has so far raised more than £42,000 to help the mother's treatments and recovery. MailOnline has contacted Ms Jones for more information on what happened.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Woman who travelled to 7 countries last year follows key rules to avoid sickness
Everyone falls ill sometimes but no one wants to feel sick on holiday, so a woman who travelled to seven countries last year has shared some tips for travellers who want to stay in good health during their trip A Canadian woman who travelled to seven countries last year has taken to TikTok to share her secrets for staying illness-free on holiday. There's nothing worse than falling ill while on a much-anticipated getaway, particularly when you've been pining for that relaxing break. While most holiday-goers think about packing outfits and important travel documents, not everyone considers taking steps to avoid falling ill abroad. Sadaf, a content creator who focuses on fashion, food, and travel, shared a video recently with some health tips for those aiming to dodge sickness during their travels. She said: "Last year I travelled to seven countries and 14 cities and I never got sick once. This is what I do to make sure I don't get sick on vacation. "I don't know about you but getting sick on vacation literally feels like I'm burning money. [I] just spent so much time, effort, money, vacation days to be here and now I'm sick and have to spend my whole day in a hotel room? "These are the simple but effective things I do to make sure that I don't get sick on vacation." 1. Wear a mask on the flight First on Sadaf's list of preventive measures is wearing a mask during flights. She strongly advises fellow jet-setters to wear masks in the air, believing close spaces and breathing recycled air within a plane mean you're "bound to catch something". The travel fan recommends wearing a mask for the return flight as well, to ward off any potential bugs from fellow passengers who might have fallen ill during their travels. In an interview with Travel + Leisure, Dr. John Dooley, MD, shared his thoughts on the topic, stating that while he doesn't typically urge healthy people to wear masks on planes, he's not against it if it reduces the risk of catching a respiratory infection. He remarked: "I don't routinely recommend people wear masks on airplanes, but I have no objection whatsoever if it helps to lessen one's likelihood of picking up a respiratory infection." Dr. Dooley also pointed out that if someone on your plane is unwell and coughing, there's a "not insignificant chance" they could pass their illness to others near them, so wearing a mask could offer some reassurance. 2. Disinfect your phone Sadaf emphasised: "Number two is simple but making sure that at the end of the day on a trip you're wiping down and disinfecting your phone." She explained that after a day out, most travellers would shower, slip into clean pyjamas, and snuggle into fresh bed linen, only to then handle their phones without considering how many germs have accumulated on their phone that day. To combat this, Sadaf makes it a habit to cleanse her phone with a disinfectant wipe or, if she doesn't have any, she'll use hand sanitiser applied to a tissue for a quick clean. 3. Be prepared with appropriate medication Her next piece of advice is to bring along a well-stocked medicine kit, featuring the appropriate varieties. Sadaf carries a compact case filled with a range of medicinal items, including melatonin, plasters, and tablets for the common cold. Sadaf is convinced that after enduring many hours of travel, your body desperately needs time to rest and adapt, and "if it's not getting the rest it needs, you are going to exhaust yourself and get yourself sick." She believes it is important to get a a full eight hours of sleep, particularly during the first days of your trip, to beat jet lag. For her, the most effective remedy is taking melatonin before bedtime, which is a natural hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain, playing a crucial role in regulating your sleep-wake cycle, according to the NHS. 4. Carry medication for stomach issues The travel guru's last tip is to pack medicine for "destinations where you're more likely to have stomach issues". For example, whenever Sadaf visits Pakistan, she never forgets to bring Dukoral, an oral vaccine that offers protection against cholera, a serious illness known for causing intense diarrhoea. Sadaf mentioned that it also protects against bacteria commonly transmitted through food and water. She further took Pepto-Bismol tablets daily, a treatment for various digestive issues, and shared that she managed to indulge in all sorts of local cuisine throughout her stay in Pakistan without any stomach problems.
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
I've taken over 130 long-haul flights — here's how I beat jet lag
"How do you beat jet lag?" Aviation expert Rhys Jones, from frequent flier website reveals that this is the number one question he's asked when he reveals what he does for a living. Which is mainly flying in passenger planes and writing about the experiences. He reveals that after six years in the job, he's taken over 130 long-haul flights, sometimes circumnavigating the globe without leaving airports. And the answer to the jet lag question? Rhys admits that beating jet lag outright isn't possible, but there are several ways to soften the impact and he claims to "manage jet lag better than most". Here's how he does it. 1. Fly business class Rhys admits this tip "sounds facetious", but he stresses that not only could he not do his job as an aviation writer and hotel reviewer globetrotting in economy, but that "flying business class is the best way to reduce jet lag". Why? "Because with a flat bed you can actually get some decent sleep," he says, adding: "If you're someone who can get a proper eight hours' rest sitting upright cramped in economy, then congratulations. Unfortunately, I need to be at least vaguely horizontal to get some good rest and that's something you only get in business or first class, unfortunately. "I now actively avoid flying long-haul economy at all costs, even when travelling on my holidays." 2. Use melatonin Melatonin is a hormone that makes you feel sleepy — and it's produced in greater quantities at night. Fortunately, this sleep regulator is available over the counter in the US in pill form, with Rhys revealing that it helps him "maintain a regular sleeping schedule". He warns that taking melatonin too often can lead to dependency, but says: "I find it fantastic in dealing with those classic jet lag situations where you are lying in bed wide awake at 3am because your body is telling you it is morning." 3. Sunlight and exercise After he lands, Rhys gets outside for a spot of exercise. He reveals: "Being outside and soaking up some sunshine immediately boosts my alertness and makes me feel better, especially after being in a flying aluminium tube for many hours. "One of my routines, if I feel up to it, is to go for a run outside within a few hours of getting home in the morning." 4. Do not oversleep Don't give in to tiredness, says Rhys. The aviation writer explains: "Be strict with yourself and don't out-sleep an alarm. "There are few things as detrimental and counterproductive than staying in the 'wrong' timezone and oversleeping." 5. Embrace napping Rhys is a believer in the power of the power nap and even has the perfect number of minutes for one – 24. He says: "Personally, I've found 24 minutes to be the ideal amount of time between falling asleep and entering a deep sleep cycle. During such a nap, I'll often feel like I'm not sleeping, only to find my alarm waking me up from a short dream. "I'll then spend five minutes or so slowly re-energising myself before getting back to whatever it is I need to do, feeling better and more alert." 6. US flights to Europe Does Rhys have a trick up his sleeve for dealing with flying east from the US to Europe? Unfortunately not. He tells The Independent: "Flying east — particularly on the overnight red-eye flights from the East Coast to Europe — can be an absolute killer. "The relatively short flight time curtails your night and means you only realistically have a few hours to sleep. "For that reason, I often recommend the east-bound day flights from New York and Boston, operated by British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, JetBlue, United, American Airlines and Air France. "Instead of trying to cram some sleep, you can enjoy the flight instead and land in Europe in the evening, in time for a cocktail and proper night's sleep.'
