Hapless Water-Skier
photo taken from chrisdixonstudios.com
In this urban legend, “A water-skier in a southern reservoir gets too close to an area of sunken stomps and fences.” He falls and feels sharp punctures in his legs. He says to the operators of the boat that he must’ve hit some barbed wire. As he is pulled up from the water, it is realized that he had fallen into a large ball of water moccasins. Shortly after, he dies from the multiple snakebites inflicted upon him.
Forms of this story are told about nurmerous lakes especially in the Midwest and South. Water moccasins, aka cottonmouths, are very quiet creatures that travel in large groups. However, these snakes are not known to exist in the areas where hapless water-skiers are said to have died.
(Source: Brunvand, Jan H. Encyclopedia of Urban Legends. 2001.)
