Collier County, Fla. (WINK) — Albert Allison, a former Coast Guard pilot who flew rescue missions on remote Pacific islands and through Alaskan snow storms, found himself needing a lifeline last year after catching a deadly bacteria while fishing.
Allison noticed something was wrong while watching TV at home. He felt a pain in his calf and discovered what appeared to be a tiny bruise.
“I’m sitting here watching TV and I felt this pain in my calf…And I looked at it…and it was a tiny little bruise,” Allison said.
The little bruise turned out to be Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacteria that quickly grew and landed him in the hospital for weeks. Doctors saved his leg and his life.
“It was painful in the beginning, especially it was very painful,” Allison said.
Dr. Valerie Harwood studies water microbiology at the University of South Florida. She says Vibrio is a naturally-occurring bacteria found in warm, brackish waters.
“It is everywhere, and it’s at high levels in warm water,” Harwood said.
The bacteria can be dangerous for people with underlying conditions like heart or liver problems. Infections can start through a cut coming in contact with the water or consuming undercooked seafood.
“If it continues, the infection continues and causes septicemia or blood poisoning, that’s when your risk of dying is close to 50%,” Harwood said.
The close call is keeping the 89-year-old airman on high alert. His decades-long career included flying rescue missions in some of the world’s most challenging conditions.
“Be careful, because it’s out there. It’s everywhere,” Allison said.