Seaman Chokes

[chequita guevara]

Joking deckhand chokes on bait in front of kids

Apr 1st, 2009 | LONG BEACH, Calif. -- A charter boat deckhand trying to make a group of California schoolchildren laugh has choked to death on a bait fish he put in his mouth.

Capt. Dan Salas of the boat Gale Force said Tuesday that deckhand Jeff Twaddle died last week off Long Beach in front of about 20 elementary school students from the Los Angeles area. He called it a "tragic freak accident."

Authorities say the 54-year-old longtime fisherman was trying to "make the students laugh" when he popped the fish in his mouth. It lodged in his throat and Twaddle quickly lost consciousness. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

School officials sent a note to parents and were providing grief counselors for students.

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Information from: Press-Telegram, http://www.presstelegram.com

[Wezil]

My school trips were boring.

"Twaddle" *snicker*

[Lorizael]

mm scarred for life.

[Winston]

A charter boat deckhand trying to make a group of California schoolchildren laugh [..]

School officials [..] were providing grief counselors for students.

He was doing it wrong!

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This thread title is most disappointing. It should have been "choking", obviously.

[Dis]

nice thread title.

as for the story. well not much comment. It's one of those freak things. Sometimes it's best not to do stupid things. Even if it means kids won't laugh.

I prefer not to put strange things in my mouth.

[Alinestra Covelia]

Alas, poor seaman, I never knew you.

[BeBMan]

Authorities say the 54-year-old longtime fisherman was trying to "make the students laugh" when he popped the fish in his mouth. It lodged in his throat and Twaddle quickly lost consciousness. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Just curious, did somebody laugh then?

[Provost Harrison]

Twaddle? That's not a real name - with the date of the article, I have my suspicions shall we say