Mexican Eel Swims Out Of Kitchen Tap, Shocks Irish Family

A family living in Limavady, Northern Ireland, was shocked to discover a live Horsehair eel come out of their kitchen tap on Sunday.

The tropical eel was discovered by the son of a couple, who have preferred to remain anonymous. When they were alerted to the incident, they refused to believe it at first. Speaking with local news outlet Derry Now, the woman said that they thought the slimy black hair-like substance that landed on the kitchen sink was not an eel, but a piece of fishing wire.

“I have never seen anything like this happen before so I was completely shocked. An eel is the last thing you would expect to come out of your tap,” she said, “I don’t have any real concerns about the water but it does make me a little weary to make sure and check the water before drinking it.”

Nevertheless, the family took no chances and they immediately got in touch with the Northern Ireland Water (NIW) to inform them of the incident. The very next day, NIW authorities had arrived at their house to investigate the rare incident.

"Reports of a worm from a cold water tap in the Limavady area are being investigated by NI water. NI Water staff called to the property today and lifted samples for analysis. Our scientific staff will liaise directly with the customer and also provide advice on any remedial work required,” a spokesperson for Northern Ireland Water said.

Even though the investigation is ongoing, NIW has stated that the drinking water across Northern Ireland is completely safe since it goes through a rigorous monitoring routine which involves over 200,000 tests on an annual basis. "We will continue to monitor water quality across Northern Ireland to ensure that water quality standards are met and there is no risk to public health," NIW stated.

The species of eel which was discovered by the family is typically found around the western central Atlantic Ocean, including Florida, and the Gulf of Mexico. A full-fledged male eel of this species can grow up to 76 cm. They thrive best at 90-200 meters below sea level.

The couple was just glad that their son did not swallow the eel without noticing it. However, this species of eel is much less dangerous than the electric eel.