A retired engineer from Alabama passed away just days after a seemingly perfect day spent emptying crab traps on his private wharf led to a fatal infection. Michael 'Moose' Mallini, 73, was enjoying his time on Mobile Bay in April when water from his crab traps splashed onto his legs, according to his family.
Unbeknownst to Mallini, a small cut on his skin allowed Vibrio vulnificus, a naturally occurring bacterium found in warm coastal waters, to enter his body. This triggered necrotizing fasciitis, a rare but rapidly spreading infection commonly described as flesh-eating disease.
'He was emptying his crab traps, and apparently, he got water from the crab traps all over his legs, and he didn't think anything about it,' his sister Rita Mallini told WKRG.
However, small blisters soon appeared on his legs. 'By Wednesday night, he had huge blisters on his legs, and then he was dead Friday afternoon,' Rita recounted.
His sister Angela Mallini said doctors diagnosed him with necrotizing fasciitis as the infection spread throughout his entire body. Mallini became the first person in Mobile County to die from Vibrio this year. Health officials reported 16 cases of vibriosis in the county in 2025 and warn that about one in five severe infections are fatal.
His funeral was held on Friday. Family members said Mallini, affectionately known as 'Moose,' had recently completed construction of his wharf less than three months earlier and was finally able to enjoy one of his favorite pastimes. They described him as adventurous, with a love of motorcycles, fishing, crabbing, and traveling around the world.
'We always have a crab boil. He loved fishing. He loved being in the water,' Rita told the outlet.
Despite the tragedy, his family does not want people to avoid the water. 'We don't want to scare people away from the water. We just want to caution them,' Angela said. 'Anyone with a break in the skin is liable to become infected.'
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Vibrio vulnificus is a naturally occurring bacteria found in warm coastal waters that can enter the body through even a small cut or scrape. Most people become infected after eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters, but the bacteria can also cause life-threatening infections when an open wound is exposed to saltwater or brackish water. About one in five people with the infection die, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill.
Health officials advise people to avoid exposing open wounds, cuts, or scrapes to saltwater or brackish water and to use caution when eating raw or undercooked seafood, particularly oysters.
