After contracting a rare form of vibrio in Vineyard waters, a local fisherman nearly lost his foot to infection.
Donnie Benefit, a 68-year-old Edgartown resident and captain of the Edgartown town dredge, noticed a blister growing between his index and big toe on his left foot after three days of shellfishing. At first, he didn’t think much of it and did some home treatments. But the wound got worse, and he went to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital after the infection began to devour the skin off the top of his foot, exposing the muscle and tendons below.
“When they finally got me in there, it looked like I pulled my foot out of a wood stove,” said Mr. Benefit.
After the staff at the hospital saw how far the infection had progressed, Mr. Benefit was flown to Mass General Brigham in Boston, where he underwent several rounds of surgery. Despite the aggressive nature of the infection, Mr. Benefit is expected to make a full recovery under his current treatment
“The recovery is actually going really well,” Mr. Benefit said. “I had four surgeries to get rid of the infection and then another one to clean it up.”
What Mr. Benefit contracted was a rare bacteria called vibrio vulnificus. While Islanders are often familiar with vibrio parahaemolyticus, which is typically contracted when eating contaminated raw sea food, vibrio vulnificus can lead to more severe infections that can include gastrointestinal inflammation (gastroenteritis) and redness or swelling around a wound (cellulitis). In extreme cases, flesh-eating disease (necrotizing fasciitis) or sepsis can also occur.
Edgartown officials announced the vibrio vulnificus case in August, but said there was not a widespread public health concern.
“Generally speaking, while there is increased bacterial activity as water continues to warm, infection is much more common in the South than the Northeast,” said Brice Boutot, the Edgartown health agent. “When enjoying the waters of Martha’s Vineyard, risk of infection remains low for those who practice common sense safety.”
Infections from vibrio vulnificus are more commonly found in places along the Gulf Coast, such as Louisiana and Florida, where the water is warmer. A report published by the Massachusetts Department of Health in 2025 found that over the last several years there were seven confirmed cases of vibrio vulnificus in Massachusetts. Of those cases, four were likely due to exposure in the state.
“In general, public risk remains minimal for those who do not swim with open wounds, but for people over 65, immunocompromised individuals, or those with liver damage, or pregnant people, or children under five, are generally more susceptible,” Mr. Boutot said in August.
The Department of Health’s most recent report states that there has been a total of 110 vibrio type infections since the start of 2026. This report was constructed from every documented vibrio infection, of which there are well over a dozen, including the vibrio vulnificus.
According to Mr. Benefit, doctors used 30 to 40 staples to graft animal skin to help stimulate re-growth on the damaged area.
“They put that on the wound and it helps to grow a layer like meat, not skin, but a layer underneath, because the tendons were exposed,” Mr. Benefit said.
In the coming weeks, Mr. Benefit plans to undergo another round of grafting from a plastic surgeon, and his overall recovery timeline is about six months.
Mr. Benefit believes he contracted the bacterial infection in one of the several Edgartown ponds his digs for clams in.
“I was in Poucha Pond, I was in Shear Pen Pond and I was in Caleb’s Pond, all within those three days,” said Mr. Benefit. “We know it’s vibrio, but it’s weird…I’ve been out there for 68 years scalloping and I’ve never seen anything like this.”
To help cover his mounting medical bills, Mr. Benefit’s girlfriend Martha Montesion started a fundraising campaign with the help of Jennifer Bettencourt, while he is out of work. The Gofundme page has already generated more than $17,000.
“Anyone that knows him knows that he’s not a sit-around guy and he would do anything he could to help you,” said Ms. Montesion. “[And] he’s trying to be a good patient.”
After weeks of bedrest, Mr. Benefit is now back up on his feet, and was making apple sauce and chicken soup during a visit with the Gazette. He is awaiting his next surgery and is ready to get back out into the world.
“I’m trying to get this [healed] so they put the new skin on, so I can still dredge the channel this winter,” said Mr. Benefit. “I also got a job off the lighthouse, which I kind of don’t want to miss. But the doctor told me if they do it next week, then I’ll be in good shape because he said it’s going to heal so fast once they put the skin on.”
This article appears in October 2 2026.