Woman, 70, impaled by 45kg sailfish that jumped out water on Florida coast
23 July 2022, 20:32
A 70-year-old woman has been stabbed by a 45kg - or 100lb - sailfish after it leapt out of the water as her companions were trying to reel it in on a boat off the Florida coast.
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Authorities said the sailfish stabbed Katherine Perkins, of Arnold, Maryland, in the groin area with its pointed bill on Tuesday while she was standing in the boat.
The incident took place as two other people, Louis Toth and Dominic Bellezza, tried to bring the sailfish in on a fishing line about two miles offshore from Stuart, Florida.
Mr Toth and Mr Bellezza applied pressure to the wound, and Ms Perkins was taken to Stuart for medical treatment.
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She told deputies that the attack happened so fast that she did not have time to react, according to the sheriff's office report.
Sailfish are among the fastest fish species in the ocean and, like the swordfish, are recognisable by their extended, pointed bills.
