Live crab pulled from boy's ear after Mexican beach trip

A doctor in Mexico removed a live crab from a boy’s ear after he reported something wriggling in his head following a day at the beach. Pedro, the child in the video, was taken to a local health center where clinicians determined the crustacean had burrowed into the ear canal. His mother, Kitzia Mitre, an influencer and fashion designer who runs the YouTube channel Travelling with Kitzia Mitre, documented the moment of extraction as Pedro cried and asked whether he would go blind, with the doctor stabilizing the patient’s head while performing the removal.

The crab was removed alive and was later seen wandering on the stretcher after the procedure. Mitre said the incident opened a new fear for her and her son, and she shared the clip publicly, which quickly drew attention on social media. Mitre has described the moment as a rare but possible occurrence that can happen after beach or water exposure, underscoring that it is not common but that parents should seek medical care if a child experiences persistent ear discomfort after contact with animals or water.

Image missing in article: a doctor performing the removal, with the boy and mother nearby

The video’s rapid circulation spurred a range of reactions, with viewers recounting their own experiences of foreign bodies entering the ear. Some commenters described painful incidents involving insects or small animals becoming lodged in the ear canal and emphasized the importance of professional removal to minimize risk to the eardrum and surrounding structures. Experts note that while ear foreign bodies are a known hazard for children, the vast majority are non-living objects such as toys or corks, and live animals are far less common.

The incident sits within a broader pattern of rare, unusual cases in which creatures enter the ear. In 2014, Australian authorities reported a man who woke in severe pain as an inch-long cockroach burrowed into his ear before doctors removed it. The following year, a teenager in Arkansas extracted a four-inch centipede from his ear after waking to intense pain. In Guangzhou, China, doctors operated to remove a live gecko that had crawled into a man’s ear canal while he slept. Another case in China involved a woman who felt a crawling sensation and found a spider and its shed exoskeleton moving inside her ear.

Medical professionals say such events, while striking, remain rare and typically involve some combination of water exposure, warm temperatures, and the ear’s anatomy that can permit small animals to enter or become lodged. Treatment usually requires careful extraction by trained clinicians to minimize damage to the eardrum, ear canal, and surrounding tissues. After removal, patients may require monitoring for infection or residual hearing changes and sometimes a short course of antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medications.

Experts stress prevention and prompt care: avoid inserting objects into the ear, particularly if a child has submerged in water or played at the shoreline where small animals may be present; if a child experiences ongoing pain, discharge, hearing loss, or sensations of movement, seek medical attention rather than attempting home remedies. While the Mexico incident is unusual, it underscores the need for awareness of foreign-body risks in ears after outdoor activity near water, and the importance of cautious, professional intervention when removal is necessary.

Health authorities emphasize that most ear foreign bodies are not dangerous when handled by professionals, but delays in treatment can raise the risk of infection or lasting ear damage. Parents should monitor for signs of distress, especially in children who express fear or anxiety after a medical procedure or who report blurred vision, dizziness, or persistent pain following the event.