Food influencer who died consuming ‘poisonous’ satan crab ‘ought to have identified higher’
Emma Amit, 51, had been out catching shellfish and crabs with her mates in the Philippines before she cooked them – the following day she started to feel ill and fell unconscious
Emma Amit ate a number of seafood before falling ill (Image: Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress)
A food vlogger died after eating a highly toxic devil crab for a social media stunt.
Emma Amit, 51, consumed the poisonous crustacean before later collapsing at her seaside home in Palawan province in the Philippines. Footage from February 4 showed the influencer and her pals foraging for shellfish and crabs in a mangrove forest close to her home in Puerto Princesa.
She appeared in high spirits as she swallowed one piece of seafood while some more simmers in a large pot of coconut milk. However, the next day she is understood to have fallen seriously ill as lost consciousness.
Neighbours claimed Emma was convulsing as she was rushed to a local health centre. When her condition worsened, she was taken to hospital, her lips turning dark blue while she was unresponsive.
Emma was tragically pronounced dead on February 6 and her friend Beverly Villanueva paid tribute online, saying: “Your sudden passing is so shocking and sudden. You were like an older sister who always told me what food you wanted me to buy. I will miss you always.
“I know you didn’t want to leave yet because you still had so many plans in life, but why? That’s a question that will never be answered, because you’re gone.”
Authorities have since warned coastal residents not to eat unfamiliar seafood, adding that Emma’s mates were also being monitored for similar symptoms.
Laddy Gemang, chief of Luzviminda village, said he was baffled by the tragedy as she and her husband were experienced fishers.
“This is really saddening because they should have known. She and her husband, they are both fisherfolk. They live by the sea, so I know they know about this devil crab that’s dangerous to eat. So why did she eat it? That is what I’m confused about,” he said.
Village officers were sent to Emma’s home to investigate and reportedly discovered discarded, brightly coloured devil crab shells in the rubbish – seven in total according to local news outlet ABS-CBN.
Laddy added: “I saw the shells, there were around eight. I don’t know if all of them were devil crabs, but they all looked alike. So to the residents of Puerto Princesa, I am urging you to be doubly vigilant. Do not eat these dangerous devil crabs because they have claimed two lives here in our town. Don’t gamble with your lives.”
The Zosimus aeneus crab – also known as devil crab – contains a combination of toxins that are potentially lethal when ingested. They are found across the Indo-Pacific region and are considered the most poisonous crab in the Philippines, with 50% of cases proving fatal.
They are typically dark reddish-brown or cream in colour and have red or brown patches. Their shells and flesh contain the powerful neurotoxins tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin, which remain deadly even after hours of cooking.
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