Woman Hospitalized After the Octopus She Put on Her Face for a Photo Contest Injected Her With Venom

In Washington, a woman has been taken to hospital after being bitten and injected with venom by an octopus she picked up and placed on her face in what was an attempt to win a local photo contest.

The incident occurred on August 2nd, according to KIRO 7 news. The woman in question, Jamie Bisceglia, was racking her brain for ideas ahead of a local photo competition, when she encountered a group of fishermen at the Tacoma Narrows fishing derby who happened to have hooked an octopus. In deciding to get a photo with it, Bisceglia, naturally, placed the octopus upon her face. It was here it latched onto her, before biting her cheek twice and injecting its venom. She says it left her in incredible pain.

So, crazy me, hindsight now and looking back, I probably made a big mistake.

As a result, her face swelled up. She tried to ride the pain out for two days, before finally making a visit to her local ER. It was here she was given three different antibiotics. Speaking to KIRO 7, she said she was still in pain. And it gets worse:  doctors told her the swelling can “come and go… for months.”

No word on whether or not she won that contest.

Jack Alexander's picture

A 28-year-old self-taught photographer, Jack Alexander specialises in intimate portraits with musicians, actors, and models.

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33 Comments

'Probably' made a mistake, she says?
Stupid isn't something we are born with, takes years of skill to develop.

Damn, was going to write something very similar, beat me to it :)

She should try a blue-ringed octopus the next time!

That's cruel :-)

Why? She thinks, that she probably did a mistake. With the blue-ringed she can be sure! :p

Of course, she will not have much time to regret it if she did....

Yes I'm cruel.... ;)

Why do stories like this make me giggle.

That just remind me of the days of:
buddy: ‘I bet you can’t do that’
Me: ‘hold my beer’

It could well be that you are a sick and twisted individual, Mr Devereaux.

But how should I know? Although I would never stick an octopus on my face, I will admit to an imperfect understanding of this world and the people in it.

Party on, everyone.

Proof that Darwin was right!

Proof that Darwin was wrong. She's still alive.

I think you got my point, live or dead.

It is hard to sympathize with stupid like this.

And now, she will have health issues for the next many years while she tries to recover her microbiome from the antibiotics. Her journey into realizing how stupid this was is only just beginning.

If nothing else, today I learned that all octopus have venom!

Me three. I'm an Aussie so I knew we had the potentially deadly blue-ringed octopus, but I didn't know all octopus possesed venom.

I don't need to watch the video to appreciate the theory behind "natural selection".

Can't fix stupid.

The article begins "In Washington D.C., a woman " but the rest of the article indicates Washington state.

Racking her brain she said. I still can't over the idiocy some people go to just to get a picture. That creature wouldn't have stung her if she had left it alone.

That really sucks #rimshot

Washington State, not DC. Home of the Tacoma Narrows bridge, and KIRO7 TV station.

The biggest cause of my disbelief in this story is that it didn't happen in Florida.

For your amusement on any day, any day whatsoever, get on Google News and search on "Florida man" as key words.

You mean FloriDuh!!!

Not Washington DC.

A fishing derby from the shallow end of the gene pool.

"So, crazy me ... I probably made a big mistake."

Ain't no doubt about it, Jamie.

Stick on a MAGA hat and her training will be complete.

Mind boggles how anyone thought this a good idea.

Try this with a deadly Australian blue ringed octopus!
Enough venom to kill 25 people they say.

https://thewest.com.au/news/australia/british-tourists-slammed-online-af...

(me after reading this article) Nonchalantly sets octopus back down on the beach and walks away . . .

Some people think wild animals are pets, and the ocean is one big aquarium. She got what she deserved, I just hpoe the octopus is ok and did not contract her stupiditis.