A deep sea diver was left with massively swollen arms and chest after a fishing accident.

Alejandro ‘Willy’ Ramos was diving for shellfish off the coast of southern Peru when a huge cargo ship cut across his vital air hose.

Although he was able to swim to the surface, the sudden change in pressure left him with arms and a chest like Popeye.

Willy’s arms and chest swelled after a fishing accident (Picture: Discovery / Barcroft)

The 56-year-old said he now suffers from constant pain and his chest hisses when he breathes.


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He added that for a long time he was also too embarrassed to leave his home in the southern fishing town of Pisco, Peru.



Willy told newspaper El Nacional that he followed his father into the fishing business 30 years ago.

He said back then, divers had to go about 50 ft into the waters to catch shellfish.

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However in recent years, over-fishing means they have now receded to double that depth and the situation is more dangerous.

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On the day of the accident four years ago, Willy was about 100 ft under the water while a colleague and his son stayed on a boat feeding him air.

The ship then severed his air pipe and he was forced to quickly swim to the surface.

Ascending too quickly is dangerous for divers as it means the nitrogen in their bodies can form bubbles.

It is believed a sudden change in pressure caused the damage, which has added four-and-a-half stone to Willy’s frame (Picture: (Picture: Discovery / Barcroft)

When nitrogen bubbles form in blood and tissue, it can cause a condition known as decompression sickness or ‘the bends.’

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Ordinarily divers will ascend slowly and have a safety stop as they rise to the surface to stop this happening.

However, Willy had no choice but it meant that the nitrogen caused irreparable damage to his chest and arms and added four-and-a-half stone to his frame.

He recalled: ‘I kept swelling and swelling. My arms swelled to an incredible size.

Willy says he has pain in his arms and his chest hisses (Picture: Discovery / Barcroft)

‘It didn’t go down. It didn’t go down.’

Willy has been unable to pay for any treatment and lost his job because of his injuries. He is now experiencing trouble walking because of the extra weight and he has pain in his arms.

The Naval Medical Centre is now looking at the case and experts think that some time spent in a high-tech oxygen chamber could help to repair some of the damaged tissue.

He will travel to Peru’s capital Lima to see if he can be treated.

His story is told on Body Bizarre, Saturdays at 10pm on TLC UK.