Tragedy strikes as food influencer dies after eating toxic ‘devil Crab’ for video
Authorities in the Philippines have issued a stern health warning following the death of a local food influencer who reportedly consumed a poisonous crab while filming content for social media.
The victim, 51-year-old Emma Amit, was filming herself gathering seafood on February 4 in a mangrove area near her home in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. According to sources, Amit and a group of friends collected various shellfish and prepared a seafood meal together, which she recorded for her online audience.
In the footage, Amit can be seen sampling the catch, including a crab known locally as the “devil crab”, cooked with other marine animals in coconut milk. By the next day, she became violently ill, exhibiting severe symptoms including uncontrollable shaking. She was rushed to a local clinic and later transferred to a hospital, but despite medical efforts, she passed away on February 6, two days after the meal. Witnesses reported her lips had turned dark blue, a classic sign of neurotoxin poisoning.
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Following her death, Laddy Gemang, chief of Luzviminda village, dispatched officials to Amit’s home, where they reportedly discovered the bright, colorful shells of the devil crab among her trash.
Marine experts explained that the devil crab, native to Indo-Pacific reefs, contains potent toxins such as saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin, which can attack the nervous system. Even a small amount can be lethal, and these toxins are similar to those found in pufferfish.
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Gemang expressed shock over the incident, noting that Amit and her husband were experienced seafood gatherers. “This is truly saddening because they should have known,” he said. “They live by the sea, so I know they are aware of the danger of the devil crab. So why did she eat it? That is what I am confused about.”
He urged local residents to exercise extreme caution. “Do not eat these dangerous devil crabs. They have already claimed two lives in our town. Don’t gamble with your lives,” he warned.
Authorities are monitoring Amit’s friends who shared the meal for any signs of poisoning.
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Amit’s passing has left her loved ones devastated. Friend Beverly Villanueva described the loss as sudden and heartbreaking: “You were like an older sister. I will miss you always. I know you still had so many plans, but why? That’s a question that will never be answered because you’re gone.”
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