A Maryland woman was stabbed on a boat by a 100-pound sailfish that leaped out of the water as two other passengers were trying to catch the fish off the Florida coast, authorities said.
The incident happened about 2 miles off Stuart, Florida, on the morning of July 19, according to a report from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
The woman, identified as 70-year-old Katherine Perkins of Arnold, Maryland, told authorities she was stabbed in the groin by the sailfish’s bill as she stood next to the center console. The other two passengers, Louis Toth and Dominic Bellezza, said the sailfish appeared to be charging the boat before it jumped out of the water and stabbed Perkins.
Perkins “said the incident occurred so fast she did not have time to react,” the report reads.
‘YOU CAN DO ANYTHING’:Girl makes history as part of HS duo that won fishing championship
MORE: Pennsylvania bow fisherman breaks world record with 222.5-pound butterfly ray
Toth and Bellezza applied pressure to the wound until they docked an hour later and fire rescue officials tended to Perkins’ injury. She was taken to a local hospital.
Sailfish are among the fastest fish species in the ocean, and they can swim more than 60 mph. Like the swordfish, they are recognizable by their extended pointed bills. They can grow up to 11 feet long and weigh up to 220 pounds, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Toth and Bellezza told authorities the sailfish weighed an estimated 100 pounds.
