This happend to us today, it was DISGUSTING! I was at Jones Park on the lake. Man, they were nasty squigly things...PUKE. I had like 15 or so on my feet and ankles, and my buddy had about 30 on him. 06/02/05 - 7:04 pm The Other Swimmers In Natural Bodies Of Water Imagine going in for a dip in an area lake or creek and coming out with leeches all over your body. It happens more than you might think as one Austin woman learned the hard way. "They have suckers with which they attach to their prey and extract a small amount of blood," LCRA Aquatic Scientist Jerry Guajardo said. "A leech is an invertebrate animal." "You've seen them before on TV. I've just never seen them in person," Lake Travis swimmer Crystal Kerley said. That was until a recent visit to Pace Bend Park's Mudd Flats on Lake Travis. "I was sitting on the water, saw something on my toe. Thought it was a leaf so I started swishing my toe around to get the leaf off, and it wouldn't come off," Kerley said. "My nail was still showing. It was covering my entire toe, then when we hit it with a rock it went under my toe." "After we started looking more to find if they were under our bathing suits, there were little flesh colored ones all over our legs, covering our legs and they squiggled around. It was disgusting. It was awful," Kerley said. "These organisms are commonly found in lakes, rivers and ponds. It just so happens she came across an area where these were found and they attached to her body they're opportunistic feeders," Guajardo said. "I imagine they're like mosquitoes and can carry disease. I mean they're blood suckers," Kerley said. "As far as I know leeches don't carry parasites, diseases," Guajardo said. "I'm a lake rat. If I can get out there, I get out there," Kerley said. "I don't want to go back." "It's nothing to panic about. Just be aware they're there. If there were no leeches and other organisms in the lake that means there's lots of pollution," Guajardo said. Guajardo says most people won't come in contact with leeches, but everyone should shower after swimming in area lakes and creeks. He says our natural bodies of water all come along with small risks and the only way to avoid all risks is to swim in a chlorinated pool. http://kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=3425449
They weren't very big. Caught up in the moment of being FREAKED out, I wiped and pulled them all off....I know, you aren't supposed to. The things looked like they were young, many different sizes....they were red colored, so keep a look out at your legs when you're in LakeTravis.
two scenes come to mind 1. Stand By Me - he reaches into his undies and pulls out a leech "Oh **** Chris" then passes out 2. The Life Aquaitic- cue the elctronic music- "Swamp Leeches!! Am I the only one who got hit?"
