http://community.active.com/blogs/GaleBernhardt Gale Bernhardt's personal blog on triathlon, mountain biking, road cycling, running, "for women only" stuff, running with a dog and other issues in the endurance sports world. Mon, 12 May 2008 17:26:48 GMT Jive SBS 3.0.8 (http://jivesoftware.com/products/clearspace/) 2008-05-12T17:26:48Z http://community.active.com/blogs/GaleBernhardt/2008/05/12/just-odd-pelican-attack <!-- [DocumentBodyStart:99794c22-ad67-4672-b000-4e2d5f29da97] --><div class='jive-rendered-content'><p>TREASURE ISLAND - Debbie Shoemaker was wading in waist-deep water in the Gulf of Mexico when she felt something like "a big hard punch in my face." </p><p style="min-height: 8pt; height: 8pt; padding: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p>A pelican had just flown into her, its beak piercing her cheek. Shoemaker was taken to the emergency room, where a plastic surgeon gave her 26 stitches inside and outside her mouth. </p><p style="min-height: 8pt; height: 8pt; padding: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="min-height: 8pt; height: 8pt; padding: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p>"A terrifying experience, especially being by myself," said Shoemaker, 50, who was visiting from Toledo, Ohio. "Nobody would have ever thought that it could happen, but it could and it did." </p><p style="min-height: 8pt; height: 8pt; padding: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="min-height: 8pt; height: 8pt; padding: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p>Floridians know to watch for stingrays and to be wary of sharks, alligators and snakes. But pelicans are usually considered harmless. </p><p style="min-height: 8pt; height: 8pt; padding: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="min-height: 8pt; height: 8pt; padding: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p>Full story is <a class="jive-link-external-small" href="http://www.tampabay.com/news/bizarre/article497304.ece">here</a>. </p><p style="min-height: 8pt; height: 8pt; padding: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="min-height: 8pt; height: 8pt; padding: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="min-height: 8pt; height: 8pt; padding: 0px;"> &nbsp;</p><p style="min-height: 8pt; height: 8pt; padding: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="min-height: 8pt; height: 8pt; padding: 0px;">&nbsp;</p></div><!-- [DocumentBodyEnd:99794c22-ad67-4672-b000-4e2d5f29da97] --> pelican_attack Mon, 12 May 2008 17:27:35 GMT Gale Bernhardt http://community.active.com/blogs/GaleBernhardt/2008/05/12/just-odd-pelican-attack 2008-05-12T17:27:35Z 1 year, 6 months ago 0 http://community.active.com/blogs/GaleBernhardt/comment/just-odd-pelican-attack http://community.active.com/blogs/GaleBernhardt/feeds/comments?blogPost=8313