A British man miraculously survived after filming on the beach (4 photos + 1 video)
A tourist shared the story of how an innocent video shoot on the beach turned into a near-death experience. Andy McConnell, a renowned expert on the British show Antiques Roadshow, realized his mistake only after posting the video. The 72-year-old historian and writer explores the world alone and often shares stories of his travels on social media. 
He is currently in the Philippines, documenting his adventures, including encounters with numerous exotic animals. On Wednesday, December 10th, Andy shared his morning discovery on social media. While walking along the beach, he encountered a "baby octopus."
He noticed a group of local kids passing the shellfish around. He decided to go over and take a closer look.
However, the TV star later admitted he hadn't realized the danger. As it turned out, it's one of the most venomous sea creatures on the planet. 
The venom of the blue-ringed octopus can kill 26 people in minutes. The worst part is that the bites are usually painless. People may not notice until it's too late, and there is no antidote.
The Australian Institute of Marine Science describes its deadly power in detail: "This creature's salivary glands contain bacteria that produce tetrodotoxin. This powerful and fast-acting poison paralyzes its prey by blocking nerve impulse transmission." 
Blue-ringed octopuses are deceptively beautiful. Their appearance often misleads people, creating a false sense of security.
So the traveler didn't immediately realize he'd been on the brink of death.
In a post explaining his mistake, Andy wrote: "Exploring the world alone, 11,000 km from home, is always fraught with risk. But nothing is more extreme than my apparent brush with death, which I was completely unaware of until I posted it. The video just got 500,000 views! It turned out to be a blue-ringed octopus. Australians immediately identified it as one of the most venomous creatures on the planet. If you don't believe me, read some of the comments I posted. Most of them are polite, but a few are nasty." 
One social media user admitted that watching the video "shuddered."
Another wrote: "He's lucky to be alive."
On Friday, December 12th, Andy shared: "The kids who found and played with the most venomous creature in the world clearly didn't know what they were dealing with. I met with the principal of the local elementary school. She confirmed that all the participants were her students and agreed to educate them about the risks associated with unfamiliar marine life. I also informed the local coastguard captain about the incident. He immediately recognized it as a blue-ringed octopus and promised to inform the community."
