Steven Aguinaga of Hazlehurst, Mississippi and his close friend Merrick Vallian went swimming at Fort Walton Beach, Florida, in July 2010.
Aguinaga's health has been in dramatic decline since that day.
"I have terrible chest pain, at times I can’t seem to get enough oxygen, and I'm constantly tired with pains all over my body," Aguinaga explained, "At times I'm pissing blood, vomiting dark brown stuff, and every pore of my body is dispensing water."
Merrick Vallian has since died from his exposure to contaminants.
"After we got back from our vacation in Florida, Merrick went to work for a company contracted by BP to clean up oil in Grand Isle, Louisiana," Aguinaga said of his 33-year-old physically fit friend.
"Aside from some gloves, BP provided no personal protection for them. He worked for them for two weeks and then died on August 23. He had just got his first paycheck, and it was in his wallet, uncashed, when he died."
Scores of sick people across the Gulf Coast attribute their illnesses to chemicals from BP's oil disaster.
Gulf spill sickness wrecking lives - Features - Al Jazeera English
