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In Italy, 18 Die While Mushroom Hunting

People head to the woods unprepared, officials say

By Jane Yager,  Newser Staff

Posted Aug 30, 2010 5:45 AM CDT | Updated Aug 30, 2010 7:03 AM CDT
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(Newser) – There may not be guns involved, but mushroom hunting can be deadly: Eighteen Italians have died while searching for mushrooms in a little more than a week. Eager to cash in on an abundant harvest, a growing number of people have been heading for the hills. Unfortunately, many lack proper training and equipment, and have died not from accidentally eating poisonous ones, but in accidents. In the most recent case, a 65-year-old wild mushroom hunter plunged 40 meters to her death.

Others get lost in remote locales: "There are always a few people who want to search out remote bits of woodland which no one else knows,” one mountain rescuer tells the Telegraph. (Click here to read about the health benefits of 'magic' mushrooms.)

A brown mushroom, in America.
A brown mushroom, in America.   (AP Photo/Mike Groll)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 16 comments
carbonatedturtle
Aug 31, 2010 3:41 PM CDT
What?!? I was expecting to read about some freak accident when I read this headline, but these are 18 unrelated incidents??? Maybe after the first 10 people wandered off into the woods completely unprepared people should've woken up, but no, 8 others walked blindly to their deaths in search of fungus. These people all deserve Darwin awards.
Bruce Miller
Aug 31, 2010 12:23 PM CDT
Sad, proletariat of the Corporatist world, so hard up for a few morsels, take their lives in their hands, while the mighty play gambling games with vast fortunes - enough to feed all, stolen in tax form or other skulduggery ! Wall Street's Banksters stole billions, and played it away, while old ladies die for a few pennies ! Thank God for Canada's Social Safety Net ! No Canadian need be so hard up as to risk life and limb and very survival for a mouthful ! May our Neighbors to the South learn from Obama that a government operated universal health care plan is not evil and will come to the rescue of the average American soul when the third and mightiest wave of depressions flow over the America's, just as the double-dip depression has come to fruition, America is doomed to a new poverty: The end of the 'Cheap Oil Era" upon them as we speak! They are not protected by sound economic principles, they are about to be victimized by a fiat dollar - soon to be worth very little in comparison to the mighty Chinese Yuan ! Poor ladies, died of others greed more than their own ! Western World, Corporatist wealth distribution is sorely lacking, I say!
hopeandchange
Aug 31, 2010 12:19 AM CDT
I like the humor on this site ok?? I am serious by nature but I like other people's jokes and cut ups. But there is a time to let that crap go. Joking about other people's tragedies is evil and karma will not let that go by without judgment. I am just asking nice, we can disagree here and call each other names some, but the joking about death and tragedy is a little over the line.

 
Italy • safety • mushrooms • foraging

 

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