According to officials, the bill of a 100-pound sailfish that jumped out of the water stabbed a 73-year-old woman.
On July 19, about two miles off the coast of Stuart, Maryland resident Katherine Perkins was standing next to the center console of a fishing boat when a sailfish, which has a large bill, emerged from the water and stabbed her in the groin.
The other two occupants on the boat, Louis Toth, 75, and Dominic Bellezza, 77, claimed that the marine fish started to charge at their boat before it leaped out of the water and stabbed Perkins.
Ms. Perkins was injured while she was standing to take pictures of her two fishing partners hauling in the catch. The group was reportedly fishing about two miles offshore from Stuart, Florida. When the unlikely strike occurred, the companions then applied pressure to the wound, and Ms. Perkins was taken to Stuart for medical treatment.
The sheriff’s office said Ms. Perkins reported that the fish leaped so quickly she didn’t have time to react.
Sailfish, like swordfish, have characteristics that are known for being incredibly quick, and are said to be the fastest fish in the world by many accounts, with top speed recorded at 109 km/h and recognizable by their long, sharp bills.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimate that it can reach a maximum length of 11 feet and a weight of 220 pounds (100 kgs), they also said that they are “known for their fast runs, acrobatic jumps and head-shaking attempts to throw a hook.”
In a report by Oceana, the largest sailfish ever caught was 11.2 feet long and weighed 220.5 pounds.
Sailfish live primarily near the surface of the ocean but can dive up to 1,150 feet to find food.
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Sources: Dailywire, Washingtonpost, Cnn