A firefighter has shared gory photos of the tennis ball-sized hole in his leg that left him out of action for six months – caused by a deadly flesh-eating bug.
Father-of-one Tracy Rumble, 51, suddenly began vomiting violently while watching TV and was rushed to hospital by his wife.
Doctors uncovered an excruciatingly painful, red, swollen patch on his lower right leg, diagnosed it as cellulitis and sent him away.
But the following day it spread further and Tracy, a fireman of 33 years, returned to hospital.
The condition was eventually identified as necrotizing fasciitis – a horrifying bug that can lead to limb loss or death. Surgeons had to scoop out the infected flesh.