Story By: Alex Cope, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
This teenager impaled by a flying needlefish while fishing from his boat managed to make his way home for treatment with the fish still embedded in his neck.
The shocking accident took place when 16-year-old Muhammad Idul was fishing in the waters off Wakinamboro village in the South Buton regency in southern Indonesia.
Local media report needlefish began jumping out of the water as the teenager was fishing when one of them impaled its long, sharp jaws in Ibdul’s neck and knocked him off his boat.
Reports state Idul was able to swim to the surface before walking home with the fish’s needle-like jaws in his neck. He was then taken to a nearby hospital in the city of Baubau but the staff there did not want to remove the fish from his neck because the operation needed specialist equipment.
The teenager was therefore transferred to another hospital in the city of Makassar where doctors performed a delicate one-hour operation to remove the fish from his neck. Images show the fish’s head after it was pulled out of the teenager’s body.
Idul is said to be in a stable condition as he recovers in hospital and remains under observation to prevent any potential infections.
Anaesthetist Syafri K Arif said he would remain in the hospital for three to four days.
Needlefish (Belonidae) are known for their distinctive long, narrow jaws filled with sharp teeth and are capable of making short jumps out of the water at up to 60 kph (37 mph).
There have been at least two people killed in needlefish incidents as well as many others injured.
A boy in hawai aged 10 died while on a night time fishing trip with his dad in 1977 when it pierced his eye. And 22-year-old Thai navy cadet Kriangsak Pengpanich was killed in 2018 when he was speared during a training exercise.
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